A Season in Purgatory
by sabsfan2
Summary: An alternate universe story that involves most of the cast of OTH, primarily Brucas and their families. The adults play a large role in the story. Some parts are fairly adult and dark, be warned. This story is nearly compete at 70 chapters. Scott Family.
1. Chapter 1

This is an alternate universe story that involves most of the cast of OTH, focusing primarily on Brooke and Lucas and their families. The adults play a large role in the story, as well.

There are some fairly adult themes in this story and it will be quite dark in places, so if you are a younger reader, you might want to avoid certain chapters.

The story prologue takes place when the teens are about 15ish. Chapter 1 will start at the beginning of the school year, when the kids are 16. I've incorporated most of the background from the show into the series, but I've moved the Keith/Luke car wreck a year up, so it happened when Luke was a freshmen.

New couples are forming, old couples are breaking up, and there's a lot of really dysfunctional love that will unfold. Thanks for reading.

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Prologue

_2003_

The door to the café closed with a finality that seemed to foreshadow the mood of the room's occupants. Karen squared her shoulders and turned to face Keith. They had such a long history between them that it made tonight all that much harder for her. They'd been friends for most of their lives, and he'd been her rock throughout most of Lucas' life, helping her with babysitting and diapers when she had no time between three jobs and even less money.

They'd been best friends and more. But the car wreck had destroyed the trust she had in his judgment, and that had eventually taken its toll on their relationship. Karen wanted to try to salvage what was left of their friendship.

"Keith, I know things have been strained, but it's just not working out," she finished, taking his less than stunned reaction in stride. Of course, he'd been aware that things were not going well. She sat down next to him at the counter, beside him even if she wasn't going to be with him anymore. It was sure to alter her life in many ways. Though independent, Karen had come to rely on Keith for some many little things.

Keith nodded at her words, realizing that this was for the best. Maybe things would have worked out if he'd not been drinking that faithful night, risking Luke's life along with his own. But their problems were deeper than just one crisis of faith. "You're right, Kar. We tried everything we could to make it work out between us, and that's just not happening," he calmly stated, not surprised they'd reached this point. Keith wanted to express some of his feelings about ending the relationship, such as the sadness that they couldn't be more than friends along with the frustrations he found with her refusal to commit to their relationship. He ran his hands nervously across his jeans, not sure why, for the first time he could remember, that he was afraid to be blunt with Karen.

The service door in the kitchen slowly opened, as Lucas quietly walked in the back room of the café. He'd been playing basketball and was all sweaty and gross smelling. He always tried to avoid the dining areas when he reeked, out of respect for his mom and her customers. Even though it was after closing, he still followed his habit of entering through the back.

He could hear voices in the front, as he paused to grab a glass of water and poke through the food that was left over from the day's specials. Hearing Keith's voice, he smiled and made his way toward the front room of the business. Coming to the café to eat and hang out with his mom and uncle was one of his favorite parts of the day. They were an unusual family, but a family nonetheless.

He stopped, hearing the voices grow angry and consequently rising in volume. Luke paused outside the door to the main room, leaning in to hear what Keith and his mom were fighting over this time. He loved Keith like a father, and he wanted him to be with his mom. But it seemed like they fought on a regular basis lately, especially about that stupid accident that had taken place months ago. Luke had insisted he was fine, and he was. His mother still carried a lot of anger about the drinks Keith consumed before driving. But Lucas felt that Keith deserved some credit for his quick reaction and the way he got Lucas to the E.R. that night. The doctors had repeatedly said that those quick actions had saved Luke's life. He leaned into the door, hearing more of their argument.

"I guess we waited for so long to get together that we had unreasonable expectations about how hard it would be to have a relationship. But Karen, I don't want to wait another 15 years to get married. I eventually want to have a family and my time is running out," he explained.

"And I don't want to bring anymore kids into this world only to have another broken family," she confessed, knowing that it was different for her. She had Luke, while Keith had yet to have any kids. And though Keith considered Luke more than a nephew, he still wanted to experience being a full time father.

Karen listened to Keith's words of regret, realizing that this was a mutual breakup. Her apprehension lessened somewhat at the idea that while they were both hurting, they'd both agreed it was time to end their relationship. She tuned back into what he was saying and frowned at the words she caught at the end of his "we can still be friends" speech.

"What did you just say?" she quickly asked, wanting to clarify what she thought she'd heard, before going ballistic.

Keith frowned in confusion. "I was just saying that it was never going to work out between us, especially since you've always had unresolved feelings for Dan."

Karen's eyes widened in anger at that statement and she jumped away from the counter to stand in front of him. "You of all people know how much I hate Dan. Why would you ever suggest that I have feelings for him?" she shouted, not caring at all about maintaining a calm façade.

"Please, Karen. How many men have you dated since he left you? Two, including me? You've never let any man get close to you because you're still in love with my brother," Keith replied, trying to remain calm. He wasn't trying to upset her, but rather to get her to see the elephant in the room. And why she'd never find love again until she either dealt with her past or at least acknowledged her feelings.

Lucas nearly dropped his glass at Keith's accusations. He'd always wondered why his mother rarely dated, but he'd never thought it had anything to do with the bastard that gave him half his DNA. And that's all Dan Scott was to Lucas, a biological sperm donor who reveled in making Luke's life miserable. Lucas loved Keith, but his uncle was totally wrong on this point, he thought.

"Maybe the reason I don't date is because I've spent the past 15 years working my ass off to support my son. And when I've not been working, I've spent time being his mother and father. I don't have time to date anyone, let alone pine for a man who couldn't be bothered to support his own child," she retorted, still furious at Keith's accusation. She stalked across the room, seeking space to calm down, as well as refuge from Keith's accusations. The only thing that Karen hated more than town gossip about her "broken heart" from Dan Scott were the rumors about her fatherless son. Luke had a father, unfortunately, Dan couldn't be bothered to have a relationship with the boy.

Keith walked over to where she stood and reached out, gently taking her Karen's hand. "I'm not saying this to upset you, Kar. I've seen the way you look at Dan when we run into him and the distant look you get when we reminisce about high school. If you can't find happiness with me, then at least don't rule out the only guy you ever loved."

Yanking her hand away, she turned her back on him and walked toward the kitchen. She stopped short of the door, pausing only long enough to emphatically hiss, "Get out, Keith." She pulled open the door to the kitchen, intent on closing up and going home to her son. Keith looked over her shoulder and saw Lucas standing there, with a look of confusion and anger on his face.

* * *

Brooke Davis sneaked up the stairs and down the silent, ornate hallway to the relative shelter of her bedroom. She could hear the sounds of the party filtering its way up to her room, but she blocked that out as she gently swung the open bottle of Champagne back and forth as she entered her room. Turning on a lamp in the corner of her room, she slowly sank onto her frilly pink comforter, holding the chilled bottle close to her chest.

After five months of dating, her mother had married her latest boy toy that night with 100 of their "closest" friends in attendance. John Jacob Herrington III was a good catch as her mother had callously told Brooke earlier that day. She sighed and looked over at the picture of her dad that she kept beside her bed. He was off in Charleston; happily shacking up with the trollop of a secretary he'd left her mom for last year. The same secretary who was barely five years older than his daughter. Her daddy meant well, but things were so tense when she visited the new couple that they'd both found it easier to just not follow through with the court's visitation order.

But he was a good daddy, she mused. He always made sure that he sent her mom overly generous support payments each month. And he usually remembered to send Brooke greeting cards every other month with a huge check "just for her" inside. She lowered her eyes away from the picture. At least her daddy supported her shopping habit even if he didn't support her.

She lifted the heavy magnum of Champagne to her lips and swallowed. She'd been quietly sneaking glasses of the stuff all night, but that sweet feeling of a light headed buzz had eluded her. Brooke had left the party out of pure disgust, hating any occasion where she was forced to spend time in the same room with "Trey" as her mom called her new husband. There was just something about the way her stepfather looked at her that sent shivers down Brooke's spine, and not in the tingly way most guys' stares gave her.

She continued sipping straight from the bottle, lost in thoughts of the past few months. Brooke had tried to explain to Peyton why Trey's suggestive looks and hugs creeped her out. But Peyton wrote it off as parental affection. After all, her daddy always hugged her and kissed her on the check. Her best friend was sure that Brooke's stepfather was just affectionate, which explained why he regularly pulled her into his lap when she went to his office to ask for her allowance. And the time he'd copped a feel through her shirt was just an accident, Peyton assured her. She sighed, actually thinking she was losing it. Brooke wasn't sure of a lot of things, but this guy definitely set off every warning signal she'd ever known.

Brooke finished off the bottle of booze and carelessly dropped it beside her on the plush pink carpet. Someone would eventually clean the room and dispose of the bottles. It's not like her mom cared what she did anyway. That level of interest in her daughter would require more than her limited attention span could process. Besides, her mom had begun handing over everything related to her daughter to her new man, even months before they were officially married. Trey now handed out her allowance and signed her detention slips and everything else in between. There was clearly a shift of power and control there that Brooke hated.

Hearing a sound at her door, she looked up to see John Jacob Herrington IV leering at her from the doorway. J.J., as everyone called him, was her new stepfather's original son. Or at least the son from his first marriage. It was kind of hard to keep track of whose kids were whose, she mused.

J.J was normally the type of guy that turned Brooke on. He was 17 and attended boarding school at Phillips Exeter in New Hampshire. Brooke loved his dark preppy looks, not too unlike Nathan's, and his tendencies to show off his worldly demeanor. And he too was disgusted and cynical with their parents' emotional distance and casual marriages.

He moved across the room and sat down next to her on the bed, kicking the empty bottle as he did so. "Brookie, you started without me," he grinned, a look that didn't quite soften the angular features of his face. Brooke giggled, partially from her buzz, and partially from the uncomfortable feeling he gave her. Like father, like son, she thought. She hated that nickname, Brookie. Both the III and the IV called her that, which she had truly grown to despise the past few months. It's not like they had made firm plans to ditch the party together.

Running a hand down her slight body, J.J. smiled at her dazed condition. "You look hot in that dress," he complimented her, noting how the pink formal accented her developing bust line and small waist. "You're what, 16 now?" he questioned, his warm breath betraying all the scotch he'd consumed at the wedding party, which still raged on from the floor below.

"I'll be 16 in seven months," Brooke corrected him, moving her leg to avoid his roving hand. They'd only met four times before the wedding, but she'd gotten the vibe that he was interested in her early on. Usually, she enjoyed fooling around, especially the feeling of power she got from turning guys on. From her first experimental kisses with her friend Nate, to her latest flirtations with the seniors at school, Brooke liked the closeness that being with guys gave her. But J.J was a different story, though. Like his father, his advances tended to overwhelm her. And the look in his eyes was nothing short of predatory.

He continued running his hands over her body, as his words created a mental assault against her dazed mind. "You look much older, you know? I mean, even the girls my age don't have bodies like yours, Brookie," he whispered in her ear even as he leaned her back into the pile of pink pillows, trapping her body with his much larger frame. She closed her eyes, partially to block out the sight of his body and partially because the room was spinning in a pink blur. She tried to block out his words. She knew she had a good body, guys told her that all the time. Even her stepfather occasionally told her that she looked hot. Brooke was beginning to panic, and tried shoving his body off hers. She just didn't feel right about this. She had always imagined her first time being more romantic, more…meaningful.

J.J. responded by cutting off her protests by kissing her deeply. His hands simultaneously shoved the straps of her dress off shoulders even as he worked the hemline up toward her waist. "Brookie, there are two types of girls in this world. Cold fish like your mom and mine, and girls who know how to make a guy happy," he muttered as he unbuckled his pants. "We both know what kind of girl you are," he muttered, taking advantaged of Brooke's stunned and silent response to climb back on top of her.

Her last thought as he took possession of her body, as she stared at the walls, the floor, the ceiling (at any place but him), was that she suddenly hated pink. After he finished and left her room with a casual, "see ya later, Brookie," she vowed she'd get rid of everything in the room, especially the bed. It was the last time a guy had wielded the power to make her sob. And it was the last night she ever slept in a room without a locked door.

* * *

Dan walked around the kitchen, warming up a late dinner for him and his son. Nathan watched as his dad moved mechanically about, lacking his usually grace. His face wrinkled up in concern, as his dad placed the now unfrozen lasagna on the table between them.

"You're really starting to cook good," Nathan joked, poking the half-baked food on his plate.

Dan wearily smiled at his son's attempt to lighten the mood. But given what day it was, Nathan had to know his humor would fall flat. "I know it's been rough, Nate. I'm surprised you managed to put on any weight at all with my dismal attempts at cooking." He'd put so much time in at work lately that they'd not been eating together enough. It was an old complaint that had always been leveled at him. He tended toward overachieving, whether it was business or basketball. Sighing, Dan realized he needed to be home more, needed to make more of an attempt to be the father that Nate needed.

Dan looked over at his son, noticing that his weight was finally catching up to his height. For a while, Nathan was looking lankier and skinner than his bro…Dan immediately stopped that train of thought. His subconscious seemed intent on beating him senseless tonight, assaulting him with every possible memory from the past. He took in his son's blue eyes and dark hair, as they made small talk about practice and school. Nathan had definitely inherited Dan's physical features, even as he'd gotten his personality from his mother. Those thoughts sent Dan's thoughts reeling once more, as so many thoughts did lately.

Playing with the food on his plate, Dan recalled another life where he got great home cooked meals from both his mom and his girlfriend. He'd never had to do anything more than walk into a kitchen to get food. Now he had to shop for food and try to plan meals. He'd grown a healthy respect for single parents over the last few years. And while he probably sucked at being a father, he did try to make up for it, by being his son's biggest supporter.

He shoved his mostly uneaten dinner away and looked up at Nate. "I plan on going to visit in the morning. If you want to go with me, I'll write you a note for school," Dan offered, not caring whether Nathan missed a few classes or not. There were more important things to do in life than sitting in a classroom.

Nathan's eyes widened at the sadness in his dad's voice. For as long as he could remember, Dan had been the tower of strength in his life. To see him….old and defeated caused Nathan some apprehension. "Sure, Dad. You know I always go with you." These visits always tended to depress both his father and he, but it was the least that Nathan could do.

Nodding, Dan pushed away from the table. "I'm going to head on up to bed. Tell Peyton I said hello, if she comes over." Nathan watched as Dan ambled out of the room, lost in thoughts of another time.

Dan slid his jacket off and unbuttoned his shirt, attempting to relax his tense frame. He sat down in a plaid wing chair, fighting off the urge to climb into bed and forget about life for a while. His eyes moved around the room, before settling on an old family picture. He walked over and picked the frame off the desk, staring at the happy images in front of him. He fondly recalled the day the picture was taken. It was the week that Nate had started school. He remembered that day as if it were yesterday, as he and Deb had held his hands and walked him into his classroom. Nate had put on a brave face, but Dan could feel an occasional tremor of fear from his son's hand.

Dan had been nervous, too. Tree Hill was a small town with only so many first grade classrooms. He'd spent the entire morning fearing that he'd run into Karen and her son. Dan knew that some day he'd have to tell Nathan about Lucas, but he didn't want it to be the first day of school. Miraculously, Karen was nowhere to be found that morning. He and Deb had nervously left their son and then shared a celebratory breakfast together, happy that they'd managed to survive leaving their son for the first time.

That day seemed like another lifetime ago, he thought, absently tracing Deb's features on the photo. He set the picture back down and moved back to his chair. He'd loved two women in his life, and both relationships had turned out to be disasters in their own way. He knew that he should have treated both Karen and Deb better when he was with them. But he'd always been focused on the future. First it was getting a scholarship and then later it was making sure that his business was a success. Success, either in basketball or at the dealership, was the way to provide for his family. Or so he'd thought at the time.

Maybe karma was finally kicking in. Maybe Dan was facing the retribution for the way he'd treated Karen and their son. Their son… he thought, recalling the boy he rarely saw and knew even less about. Last week Dan had actually run into Keith at the grocery store and stopped to talk to his older brother for a minute. He'd picked up on the weird looks Keith kept giving him, but he hadn't realized why his brother was so nervous until he'd turn to look down the aisle and had seen a lanky blond boy browsing the cereal selection.

He'd immediately nodded at Keith in silent agreement, and said a swift good-bye to his brother. It was obvious that Keith didn't want Lucas around him anymore than Karen did. Dan had almost hesitated, taking in the image of his son standing there in all his healthy glory. The last time Dan had seen him, he'd been carrying the boy into the emergency room, trying to staunch the flow of blood from his body. Lucas had survived the accident that night, as had Keith. And it was an unspoken agreement among the three adults that they'd never tell the boy who had pulled him from the wreckage, effectively saving his young life.

Not that it mattered, Dan realized. He'd made a decision years ago and now they all had to live with the consequences, even if the guilt silently ate at him. It was for the best, he realized, despite his wife's pleas to the contrary. Despite the contents of her last letter to him.

Standing up, Dan physically shook his head, trying to dislodge the thoughts that weighed him down. He quickly changed into some sweats and headed downstairs. Maybe a run would clear his mind. Or his guilt. Or at least exhaust him enough that he'd stop thinking for at least one night.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the great replies. This is a long chapter. This story was started four years ago, so the name of Brooke's mother is different from the show.

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 1

* * *

Dan grasped the cellophane wrapped flowers in his hands and tensely made his way down the row. The sun was darting between clouds, alternately sending blinding rays or covering the landscape in shadows. Glancing up at the sky, he decided that he preferred the clouds and gloom to the bright promise of the sunshine. Dan meandered on a few minutes, finally coming to rest at a small peaceful corner. He slowly leaned over and gently placed the flowers in front of the marble gravestone.

_Deborah Scott__  
__1968 - 1996__  
__Beloved Wife and Mother_

Dan sank slowly to the ground, in familiar fashion, finding the spot in the grass where he always sat. He could have sworn that he'd worn a groove into the earth beside her grave, contoured by months and years of visits. Dan wasn't sure what the point of visiting tombstones in cemeteries was. As a ritual, Dan and Nathan trudged here every year on the anniversary of her death like clockwork. He supposed it was a shared experience in grief for the two, but as the years wore on, Dan wondered if it was just cruel to force Nathan to relive that painful day. Nathan knew that Dan visited more often, but the boy probably didn't know his father made weekly visits to the cemetery. Even after 8 years, Dan still found it hard to let go of her memory.

Deb had been gone for eight years, half of Nathan's life. He stared off into space, contemplating how fast the time had passed. One day Nate was a scrawny eight year old grieving his mother, the next day he was playing varsity basketball. "You'd be so proud of him, Deb," he softly said, still feeling stupid about talking out loud to a grave. "He's doing great in basketball, but not so well in school. But he's got a tutor now, and I think Haley is going to really be a big help."

He absently played with a blade of grass as he carefully considered his next words. "Nathan is pushing me to go out on a date," he confessed. "It's pretty sad when your teenage son has to tell you it's time to move on." Dan shook his head at that thought, still finding it inconceivable that he was free to date other women. He'd dated a few women over the years, but he'd never really found time to commit to anyone after taking care of Nathan and his business. All his energy was gone at the end of the day, leaving him skeptical about relationships. Dan had his son and his work, but was openly leery about love. He'd only loved two women his entire life and neither situation had turned out well.

"I've got to get to work," he said, standing up and gently brushing his clothes off. Fall would be there soon, changing the lingering green of the cemetery to the warm colors of fall. It was ironic that it took coming to a cemetery to show Dan the cycle of life. Things were born, they lived, and they died. "I miss you, Deb," he whispered, touching the cool marble one last time.

He reluctantly shifted his focus to the right of the ornate marble stone. Reaching out, Dan slowly traced the carved façade of a lamb. He fought the tears that welled up in his eyes as he read the simple line: _Daniel Scott, Jr._ Memories of losing Deb after his birth assaulted him like a flashback, but that was nothing compared to his last memory of holding his premature son. The baby was born two months early, after a problematic pregnancy had sapped most of his mother's life. The doctors had done everything to save both Deb and Daniel's lives, only to lose Deb shortly after his son's birth. Dan had spent nearly every moment in the neonatal unit, watching his son fight and struggle for every breath. In the end, Daniel was just too weak to pull through, despite every modern medical advancement and miracle they tried.

The boy would have been eight if he had lived. He just be starting junior leagues and learning new basketball skills after school. "I'm sorry we didn't get to spend more time together," he softly whispered. He was reminded of another son he'd not spent enough time with, his first-born son with whom he had no contact. A son he'd also lost time with, not at the cemetery but across town. After all these years, Dan was still amazed that he could mourn a child he'd known only six days, but completely ignore another child for 16 years. He abruptly cut those thoughts off, refusing to get mired down in any more regret for his past actions. Lucas might as well have his own tombstone here, as he was part of Dan's past that was dead and buried. He slowly began the walk back to his Jag, failing to suppress the memories of the accident that had nearly killed Lucas.

Nearly a year ago, Dan had witnessed the car accident and rushed over to save his older brother. Keith lapsed in and out of consciousness, but still managed to direct Dan to help Luke. Dan had hesitated seeing the immobile, bloodied body of his son. Though Keith had marked Dan's hesitation to help Lucas down to his brother's unreasonable attitude toward the boy, Dan knew better. Seeing the lifeless body of his first-born son had sent Dan spiraling into the past, of another hospital, another son on death's door. Then Dan realized that the boy's chest wasn't moving, he wasn't breathing.

Initial panic had given way to immediate action, and Dan fought off his fear and ghosts from the past, and preformed CPR on Lucas, providing him oxygen his lungs needed. Even though his father had given him nothing else in 16 years, he'd given Lucas the very breath of life when he needed it. For some reason still unknown to Dan, he followed the ambulance to the hospital and waited while his brother and son were treated.

Reaching his car, Dan slowly opened the door and slipped into the luxurious leather seat, still lost in past thoughts. He'd stayed at the hospital long enough to fill out paperwork for both Keith and Lucas, even though he struggled to fill out the most basic information about his son. The E.R. nurse had marked the fact that a father didn't know his son's birth date down to fear and concern about the boy's condition. To Dan it was just another reminder of a decision he'd made in the past that was haunting him in the present. His actions had resulted in his estrangement with Lucas, just as they'd been the cause of Deb's death.

Looking down, Dan saw the front page of the sports section of the newspaper. He'd kept the month old paper for some reason he rationalized. Looking up at him were the faces of his sons, wearing their uniforms, with an article about the region's most talented athletes. It always amazed Dan that these articles could include so much personal information about the boys, without revealing any of the hatred and conflict that underscored their existence. Sighing, he dropped the paper in frustration. The boy was on Nathan's team and he wasn't going away. The team's hazing hadn't fazed Lucas; the harassment had merely rolled off the boy's rigid back. And every time Dan saw the kid at practice or a game, the boy issued the same, silent challenging look. A look that dared Dan to say something to him, dared him to acknowledge his existence.

He found it easier to hide behind bravado and mean comments to Keith or Whitey or anyone that would listen, rather to respond to those silent challenges. Something about Lucas and his demeanor unnerved Dan. He was a man who was seldom defied and to see the boy publicly attempt to stare him down was a shock. If Lucas thought his father would voice his regret or offer an apology, he was sadly mistaken. Nothing Dan could do could make up for his past mistakes. And he did regret the mistakes he'd made with both Lucas and Karen. Dan closed his eyes at the mere thought of her name…his first love, and his first heartbreak.

Eager to leave the past behind, Dan started the Jag and sped down the quiet lane leading out to the main road. Life was moving forward even as Dan struggled, trapped between the past and present. Lucas was not going away, and both Nathan and Dan were going to have to learn to deal with his presence. He frowned, realizing that the team was supported by a close-knit group of parents and boosters. They were constantly throwing parties and events for both players and parents, alike. It was only a matter of time before he and Karen were moving in the same circles again. If the thought of his oldest son confused and disoriented Dan, thoughts of his first love terrified him. It was going to be a long season, he realized, as he drove on to work.

* * *

Brooke leaned against the big oak in the quad, watching silently as groups of other students walked by. She heard a thud, and turned to see Nathan dropping his backpack next to hers.

"You look pissed," she commented, noticing the scowl that seemed to take over his pleasant facial features. She'd been friends with Nathan as long as she could remember. Their parents lived in the same neighborhood, attended the same country club and ran in the same social circles. As the adults had partied, the abandoned children had formed their own group, commiserating life and their families.

"It's Whitey. The man is totally on my ass about everything lately," Nathan complained, worn out from his earlier lecture. The team that he used to control with an iron fist was rapidly slipping away from him. And it was the bastard spawn's fault, he mirthlessly thought. "Lucas invaded my team, took my position, and moved in on my girlfriend."

Brooke smiled slyly at him, ignoring the snipes at his hot half brother. "Former girlfriend," she guilelessly corrected.

"Whatever," he tossed at her, not caring to discuss the logic behind his angst. "We were doing fine until he decided to leave his trashy house on the wrong side of town." Nathan continued to sulk, not caring how vicious he was being. He'd worked so hard, for so many years to be the best, and now a kid who barely knew what the word 'team' meant had taken it all away. His dad was going to go ballistic.

"Nathan, you and Peyton were a lot of things, but 'fine' was not one of them. Why can't you admit that you two had some great sex and move on? Peyton's been so flakey lately that no one knows what she'll do next," Brooke theorized, increasing her pace to keep up with Nate's long legs. He always tended to forget that she couldn't walk as fast as him. "I think you're just lonely and looking to score."

He looked at her with an even bigger scowl on his face. "We've only been broken up a month, Brooke. I can go a month without sex," he muttered, staring down at his dark haired friend. "Besides, there is more to life than sex."

Brooke snorted at his words, genuinely amused by the romantic sentiment behind his comment. "I don't know, Nate. Booze and boys seem to work for me."

He glanced down at her, seriously concerned at the jaded tone in her voice. "When did you get so cynical, Brooke? When we were kids you droned on and on about marrying a rich guy and having tons of babies," he recalled, smiling at the memory. Brooke had always been insistent and outspoken. But she seemed so different lately, like the last few months had replaced his Brooke with a pod-Brooke.

Brooke considered his words for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. "Better to use than be used," she offered, not sure if she even cared anymore. If anything, she wasn't cynical. She was cold. A permanent numbness had settled around her and nothing she did seem to generate feelings or emotions. Lately, she wasn't living so much as existing. She looked up at her friend. "Roses and love only exist in Hallmark cards, Nate, not in real life."

They continued walking in silence, as Nathan considered how to respond to her disparaging comments. "Are you okay, Brooke? I mean, you've been acting strange for months." He realized that those changes took place about the time her parents broke up. Nathan had never gone through the trauma of a bitter divorce, let alone the quick remarriage of a parent. He guessed that her home life wasn't really great anymore.

She considered his words, wondering if she could even begin to explain what was going on in her head. She didn't even understand it, so how could she explain it to him? She'd replayed that night over and over in head, and she was still confused. Trying to explain it to a guy seemed beyond her at that moment. Even a guy who'd seen her through every awkward moment of her life. Brooke had tried talking to Peyton about her creepy stepfather and her stepbrother, but she'd gotten nothing but 'step families are difficult' crap. Brooke decided that if her own best friend didn't want to hear it, why would anyone else?

Nathan stared off to the far side of the quad, where a couple sat on a bench, heads together in deep conversation. A warm sensation flooded Nathan at the site of his new tutor, but was stopped cold when he noticed her sitting so close to his bastard spawn brother.

Brooke followed Nathan's gaze over to where Haley and Luke sat on a bench, totally lost in a world of their own. "Tutor girl's way too virginal for you," she commented, instantly seeing the interest in Nathan's eyes.

Nathan shook his head, still engrossed at the shimmering red-gold halo that surrounded her face. "She's sweet, even if she is friends with HIM." Lucas seemed to sense the hateful glance, even from across the courtyard. He looked up and spotted Nathan and Brooke, as a satisfied smirked covered his face. Lucas gave Nathan a look of dismissal, before turning his attention to his idiot brother's companion. His eyes roved her body, noting the way her jeans rode low on her hips, exposing just enough flesh to pique his interest, but not enough to satisfy his curiosity. Brooke and Lucas weren't close. Outside of a few flirting comments, they'd barely interacted. But there was awareness on both sides, each constantly watching the other, but neither taking action. His clear blue eyes met hers and a sensuous smile crossed his face.

Brooke returned the smile and subtly shifted her backpack so that more of her naked belly was exposed. She served no purpose better than being the standard of school eye candy. "Now that's fertile ground I'd like to explore," she murmured to Nathan, failing to keep a predatory tone out of her voice. "Is he officially dating Peyton?"

Nathan averted his eyes away from Haley, and focused on Brooke's question. "I'm not sure. She promised me that she didn't break up so she could go out with him, but who knows what she really means anymore." His ex-girlfriend was never totally honest with anyone, even herself. More than likely, Peyton had broken up with him for good reasons, but was also attracted to Lucas.

Nathan quickly glanced at the other boy, trying to see what he had that all the girls were lusting over. First Peyton, now Brooke. It shouldn't have surprised him since most of the cheerleaders and other girls at school wanted him. "So, is my dear half brother your next conquest?"

Brooke stared over at Lucas, evaluating his pros and cons. "He's definitely a challenge," she started, thinking about the topic in a calculating manner. "I mean, I can't use standard operating procedures on snagging him. He's got that standoffish personality and he doesn't care what being seen with me can do for his popularity. And though he's definitely attracted to me, he's not the kind of guy who'll go for casual sex," she appraised, her gaze narrowing as she thought about how badly she wanted this challenge. But she'd had her eye on Lucas since he joined the team, and really, since their freshman year when they'd shared biology lab together.

"Despite what Peyton claims, she may still be interested in him," Nathan warned, knowing first hand how fickle his ex could be. "You two fighting over a guy could be brutal."

Brooke smirked at him. "I don't have any doubt about the winner of that fight. Trust me, I haven't met a guy yet who I couldn't get."

"And that's such a good trait at your age," Nathan snarked, not sure how he felt about a female friend who had more bravado than any guy in his locker room.

Brooke laughed at his hypocritical train of thought. "When guys score it's a positive thing, but when girls want the same thing, we're whores. I bet no one worries about how many girls you've had? I mean, I know what you did last summer, Nate. Or should I say whom you did last summer."

Nathan frowned at her, realizing he should have never told Brooke about the girls he'd met the summer he'd turned 15. "They don't count, they were summer flings. And it's not like Peyton, who I dated for a long time," he argued, knowing that she wasn't buying it from the raised eyebrows she was giving him. "I don't know what ever attracted me to Peyton in the first place," he bitterly commented.

Brooke laughed at his words. "Um, I'd guess it was hot sex and both of you being motherless moppets," she glibly replied, before the meaning of her words fully hit her. She immediately began a retraction. "Nate, I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it." Brooke, of all people, knew just how much Deb's death had affected her friend. "If it's any consolation, at least your mom isn't around because she's dead, unlike my mom who just isn't around."

He continued walking toward the parking lot in silence, taking her rambling in stride. Brooke never meant to hurt anyone, but she did tend to put her foot in her mouth with her constant talking. "I know what you meant, Brooke. It's just that she's been gone half my life," he admitted, his tone growing softer and younger by the moment. "Some days I have trouble remembering what her voice sounded like, or what her mannerisms were."

He continued talking as they headed toward their cars. "I just wish that my dad would move on. I mean, he has to get his own life and stop living mine," he added, understanding his father's pain, but growing tired of his dominating ways. "He's barely dated since mom died. And it's like he's still punishing himself for wanting another kid." Nathan had rarely discussed the death of his brother with his father. His grandpa had once told Nate that it was just too painful for Dan to bring up.

Brooke crinkled her nose up. "Who dies in childbirth in this day and age?" she questioned, still shocked that he'd lost both a sibling and a parent in one week. "Your dad is too hot not to be having sex, though. And if he were involved with a woman, he'd have less time to run your life."

Nathan threw his hands up at her comment. "Hello!? I don't need to think about my dad's sex life," he cringed, wondering how Brooke could so analytically discuss these things. "What happened to the giddy girl who used to giggle during 'spin the bottle'?" he asked her, seriously wondering where Brooke's tender side had gone. It's like the older she got, the more distant and removed she grew. Even the number of guy's she dated grew. Brooke had worked her way through most of the underclassmen and was well on her way toward conquering the upperclassmen.

Brooke's face momentarily fell, as she silently agreed with Nathan. "That romantic fool is dead and gone," she emotionlessly replied. "That giddy girl grew up and realized that sex was about power and self satisfaction."

In quiet times of self-reflection, Brooke allowed herself to lament the passing of her youth and the loss of the girl she once was. But life sucked. And she couldn't really change that. Her dad had moved off to Charleston with his trophy 'ho and her mom should have had her tubes tied before Brooke was conceived. Some women were not meant to be mothers, and Katherine Brooke Davis was their poster girl. While her daddy had always been affectionate, if absent, her mom had never wanted a baby. Things had been bad before her mom had married John Jacob Herrington, but now things at home were just miserable.

She suddenly looked up and realized she was at her car. She glanced up at Nathan, who was staring at her in concern. "Brooke, are you sure you don't want to come over to my house and talk? I bet if I asked my dad, he'd even let you crash in the guest room, seeing how he went to school with the shrew." Dan had told Nathan stories about Brooke's mom from high school that scared the death out of him.

Unexpected tears popped into Brooke's eyes, even as she tried to shield them from Nathan. "I have to go home sometime, Nate. It won't be so bad. I'll get some Chinese and lock myself in my room. I doubt anyone will come looking for me," she quietly said. She couldn't bring herself to tell anyone about that night. Or how dirty she still felt months later. No matter how much she partied, or how much booze she indulged in, that feeling of pain, isolation, and grief never subsided. She doubted that talking to anyone was going mitigate those feelings.

She smiled bravely. "I'll be fine. I don't really have another choice."

* * *

Lucas stretched his long arms out in front of him, trying to work out the muscle cramp that was threatening to erupt. He'd never realized just how much work he needed to get physically ready to play on the team. He felt a shadow fall over him as Haley plopped down on the bench beside him.

"What's up, loser?" she joked, dropping her books on the ground in front of them. She relaxed a moment, watching as her fellow students grabbed the last fleeting rays of light as Indian summer gave way to fall.

Lucas considered her words, as they echoed the greeting Tim had given him earlier in the locker room. "Just waiting for my loser friend," he smiled, happy to stop thinking serious thoughts for a change. "You want to do something? I don't have to be back for the pre-game stuff for a few hours." Lucas was finally getting into the groove with the team, and even though most of the players treated him like scum, he was beginning to make a few friends. That made the pre and post game stuff with the team a little less painful.

Wincing a bit, Haley turned to face him with an apologetic smile. "I promised Nathan that I would meet him before the game to go over his history quiz." She knew she was on thin ice. If there was one sure fire way to get a reaction out of Luke, it was mentioning either Dan or Nathan. But she was hired to tutor, whether she liked a person or not. Nathan was in serious academic trouble. He was failing math and English and was barely passing history.

Haley couldn't help but compare the two brothers academically. Luke was naturally smart, but fed that raw ability with his voracious reading habits. And while Lucas could get away without studying, Nathan needed every minute he could get. Haley had decided that he was intelligent, just not in the same academic way Luke was. More than likely, Nathan would be fine in a business setting, like his father, but didn't fare as well in the more abstract school environment.

"Haley, I just worry about you being around that idiot. Who knows what he's capable of," Luke argued, reminding Haley of all the hazing Nathan had inflicted on him.

She stared out at the quad, nodding at all the appropriate places in Luke's rant. She knew that Nathan had been nothing short of nasty to her friend, but she'd also seen a kinder side of Nate, a side that she was fairly sure he didn't show most people. She sensed Lucas tense up as he muttered, "What's he staring at?"

Her eyes followed Luke's across the grassy square, easily finding Nathan and Brooke's striking figures cutting a path across the courtyard. She admired Nathan's powerful body for a moment, watching as he gracefully navigated the various benches and tables. His eyes, however, were totally focused on Lucas. Even from that distance, she could see the anger seeping into his handsome features, marring his good looks. Her heart skipped a beat, even as she fought to deny it. She couldn't possibly be attracted to him, of all people.

Lucas' eyes shifted away from his brother to his companion. Haley watched as a slight smile worked its way across his face. Brooke returned his smile, and sent some kind of signal that only males could read, Haley theorized. There were a lot of people that got on Haley's nerves, but both Peyton and Brooke topped her list. She watched as Peyton played Luke, cooing at him one day and ignoring him the next. But Brooke was just over the top. She oozed sex appeal in such a way that girls instinctively grabbed their guys whenever she was in the same room.

"Earth to Luke? What's up with you and Brooke?" Haley asked, not sure if there had been any changes since they last talked during 3rd period. They watched as Brooke and Nathan moved away, toward the parking lot.

Luke broke the intense stare-fest he had going with Nathan and turned toward her. "Nothing's up," he tersely replied, wondering why every smile and smirk meant something to members of the opposite sex. Since he'd joined the team, it seemed like girls were crawling out of the woodwork, asking him out and stopping him in the hallways to talk. Luke wasn't that comfortable with all the attention, but he certainly didn't discourage it.

He'd been so focused on Peyton that he'd ignored most of the other girls. But as Peyton continued to be coy about dating him, he was more open to other options. And Brooke was always an interesting option.

They didn't talk much, but he knew that Brooke was fun, she was confident and there was something about her eyes that drew him to her. Last week he'd been in front of their Literature class, discussing the biography of Sartre that he'd read for the assignment. While most of his peers listened, he noticed that Brooke really seemed interested in the quote about hell being other people. He saw that line resonate within her and wondered why the most popular girl in school would find other people that oppressive. The quote was one of his personal favorites, but most people would agree that Lucas Scott wasn't a social butterfly. He found life was much easier if he stayed hidden like an unread book in the remote corner of a library.

The contradiction between how she acted that day in class and her normal party girl persona had intrigued him. Luke was jolted back to reality as Haley delivered a sharp blow to his ribs. "I hate it when you zone like that," she complained, having been subjected to years of him getting lost in introspection. "So what's the deal with the girl of the month club?"

Lucas shrugged. "Peyton's currently running cold. I asked her if she was going to the after game party tonight, but she played me off. I don't know if she's being coy or if she's that undecided," he admitted.

Haley frowned at his words. "I thought the after party was at Nathan's beach house this week." She knew that Luke wouldn't willing go to any place connected to Dan or Nate. He could barely stand driving by Dan's dealership and only did so when he couldn't think of a way to avoid it. She was amazed that he'd even consider walking into a house owned by the man.

"Yup. He issued the invitation specifically to me after practice yesterday, and if I don't show up, he'll think he's won," Luke declared, not seeing as Haley rolled her eyes. The way he and Nathan talked, you'd think they were warring countries, not fighting brothers. Though neither of them actually admitted to be related, even when pushed. Lucas had removed his last name from his basketball jersey and Nathan just gave people a blank look when they referred to his "brother".

"You should go with me," he suggested. "That way you can make sure that I don't kill him or something." Haley snorted, knowing that he and Nathan would inevitable end up trading blows before the party was over. Beer and hatred tended to have that affect on males.

But if she went she could run interference between them, and try to make sure that they didn't end up fighting. "I'll go with you," she decided. "After all, I hear that the house is beautiful." Haley immediately regretted her words. If Luke couldn't stand Nathan, he absolutely hated Dan Scott. The season had barely begun and Dan seemed to be everywhere, smirking and doing everything he could to demean and humiliate his first born son. Haley, of all people knew the damage that the man had done to Luke over the years. She reached out and tentatively touched his shoulder.

Luke ignored her touch and stared at the ground. He didn't know why he let the man get to him like he did. As much as Luke hated Dan, the jerk was still the only father he had. Keith tried to make up for Dan's indifference, but there was only so much he could do. And a tiny part of Luke wanted his father even as he hated him. "Its okay, Hales. We all know that Nathan and Dan are dripping in money. And it's no secret that he's never given my mom a dime."

She wanted to hug him, but knew from experience that there were no words that could give him comfort regarding Dan. Haley had great hope that Luke would go away to college and get out of this small, toxic town with its stupid idolization of past high school basketball stars and its malicious gossip.

"Are Keith and Karen coming to see you play?" she asked, desperately wanting to change the subject. She knew that Luke needed a positive mindset for the game later that night, and she knew that the past was not a topic geared toward that.

"Mom is definitely coming, but I don't know about Keith. It's been so awkward since he started dating that Anna girl," Luke conceded, not at all happy about how things had ended between the two. His dreams of a happy family had ended in a single night, with a single revelation from his uncle.

Haley nodded in sympathy, knowing that Keith had been seeing Anna for a few months. He'd promised to bring her by the garage to meet Luke soon, which caused her friend even more angst, because Luke knew that Keith wouldn't bring just any girl to meet him.

"She sounds nice, and all. I mean, she's a fifth grade teacher at Tree Hill Elementary. I think she moved to town this summer before school started. Keith said she doesn't have any family or friends here. But…" his voice trailed off and Haley finished his sentence.

"But you still want Keith to be with your mom," she added, knowing that Lucas felt his only family was unraveling.

"I want them both to be happy. And they fought so much after that stupid accident, that none of us were happy," he replied, remembering how much his mom had cried the night they'd broken up. Luke had gotten up in the middle of the night for some water and found Karen crying in the living room. He'd stood in the doorway behind her, watching her flip through an old photo album and listening to her sniffle.

Later that day, when his mom was at work, he'd found the album shoved under the couch. Curiosity forced him to flip through the book of pictures, but he wasn't prepared for the shock of seeing pictures of Dan with his mother. He'd never seen any of those pictures before, and he had to think that Karen was purposefully hiding them from him.

Page after page showed the growth and evolution of their relationship. Year after year the figures in the pictures morphed and evolved into the figures he recognized today. The pictures told a story he'd never heard, one of a cheerleader and a jock who went to proms and parties. From start to finish, the album illustrated a young couple that was playfully in love.

Lucas studied each picture of his father carefully, trying to discern any similarities between them. He'd searched in vain, as the pictures revealed that a young Dan was nothing more than Nathan with worse hair and broader shoulders. As a kid, Luke had fervently yearned for dark hair, so that he'd have some kind of proof that he was Dan's son. He'd been devastated when he'd finally met Nathan, only to discover he was a genetic copy of his father, down to their annoying smirk. It was yet another way that Luke was excluded, an outsider to the family that had so publicly rejected him.

6 months later, Lucas was still shaken by those pictures. Keith and Karen had always answered his questions about his parent's past deliberately, almost in a scripted fashion. Now Lucas had to wonder what else they were hiding from him, what else they had agreed to share with him and what they wanted to withhold. He hadn't told his mother he'd found the album and it had since disappeared, as if it had never existed. Kind of like the history between Dan and Karen.

He finally broke the silence when he suddenly turned to Haley and spoke. "Do you ever get the feeling that the other shoe is about to drop? Or that people aren't telling you everything?" he asked, his tone serious. "Like change is in the air and the life you've known up to this point is about to be turned upside down?"

She thought about his volley of questions, but her mind turned toward the warm feeling she got when she drifted off to sleep at night, hugging her pillow and thinking about his half brother. "I think it's just the seasons changing," she offered, not sure what was going on in his head. Luke tended to think things to death. It was amazing that he didn't have an ulcer. "Luke, you know you can tell me anything. What's been going on with you lately?" she questioned, concerned that he wasn't telling her everything.

Luke ducked his head and pretended to search for something in his back pack. His mother deserved a lot more than his suspicion and distrust. He finally turned to face her, with a small smile. "I don't know. I guess I just have an over active imagination or something," he suggested, wanting to get off this topic before it dragged him down. He'd spent too many months analyzing everything he'd ever been told by either Keith or Karen, the same months he'd spent studying Dan every time they ran into each other.

He stood up and offered Haley his hand. She let him pull her to her feet and began following him on their walk home. She surreptitiously glanced at her friend, wondering what he was not telling her. She couldn't remember the last time Lucas hadn't given her total disclosure. Haley shrugged her shoulders and kept her silence. He'd tell her about it, eventually. He always did.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 2

* * *

"Nope, try again, Nathan," Haley cajoled, encouraging her tutoree to continue working the problem. She heard him groan even as he bent over his history textbook and reread the passage. Her brow furled as she realized that he had definite weaknesses with conceptual problems. Haley made a mental note to file that little fact in his record, so that she could refer back to it as their sessions progressed.

Sneaking furtive looks over at him, Haley decided that he was unquestionably eye candy. It wasn't just his smoldering good looks or his broad shoulders, but rather a mixture of good looks and boyish charm. Nathan was without doubt used to sweet-talking his way out of most situations (or with most girls, talking his way IN to situations), but that charm only went so far with Mrs. McCollum, their elderly history teacher. She didn't care if she held the key grade that decided the fate of Tree Hill's most talented athlete. In fact, she'd told both Coach Durham and the principal that she'd just as soon flunk Nate, rather than help him get a passing grade when he didn't deserve it.

Haley had helped soften the old lady somewhat on the topic of Nathan's failing grade, but he still needed to make a strong showing on this next test before the teacher would consider doing anything more to help him. Mrs. McCollum, like most teachers, adored Haley James. A model student and a gifted scholar, Haley had no trouble excelling in school, where as Nathan was the scorn of teacher lounges everywhere.

She openly stared at him, noting the way he expelled nervous energy by tapping his pencil against the table as he read the passage. Haley had her work cut out for her this time. While in the past she'd proudly told everyone there wasn't an athlete she couldn't help, she was seriously beginning to question that statement. Nathan wasn't stupid; he was just unmotivated and missing basic study skills. At first she'd worried that he was dyslexic but soon realized that he could read, he just didn't like to. Like an atrophied muscle, Nathan's reading skills had withered over the years from disuse.

Frowning, Haley tried to stop the automatic comparison between his problems and Lucas' strengths. Nathan didn't like to read and hated to study, Lucas loved books and considered libraries and study halls sacred places. It wasn't fair to compare them, she knew, but it was hard not to. For all the bluster and complaining, Nathan and Luke were so very similar in ways that it weirded her out. They were both thoughtful individuals, who deeply cared about their friends and their team responsibilities. Not that either of them would ever stop bitching about the other to notice those similarities, she realized, but Haley was a dreamer and she never gave up hope.

"Haley?" an insistent voice repeated. Nathan watched as Haley jerked back to reality and gave her a smirk. "So the point of the chapter is that the Union, while having sucky leadership, eventually won the war due to the South's lack of resources."

Haley nodded at him in excitement. "I knew you could do it, Nate. You just need to find the key concepts and reread the chapter to build on those points." He smiled at her display of genuine happiness, surprised that she cared whether he got 'it' or not. She got paid by the hour, not by the number of passing grades he got. But she truly seemed invested in every fact he learned and subject he mastered. Nathan's smile faded, wondering if anyone else cared what he did, as long as he continued to win games. His dad certainly didn't. It had taken Whitey and the principal's intervention to get Dan Scott to see that his son was in danger of failing and thus being ineligible for the second half of the season. And that's about the only reason his dad cared about his school work. It was always about basketball, he realized, missing the days when he'd come home from school to find his mother waiting with cookies and milk, full of questions about his day and what he'd learned.

She carefully watched his face drop from elation to sadness, noting a deep pain that seem to fill his intense blue eyes. "Nate, what is it?" she asked, reaching out and gently touching his hand in concern, wanting to understand what had happened in those past few seconds to dramatically alter his mood. Nathan felt a warm, soft hand on his and looked down, surprised to see her touching him. While he knew that Haley had been forced to take him on as a tutoree, she'd always been cheerful and encouraging, even as she'd kept her distance. Nate had attributed it to her friendship with Lucas and was surprised that she was willing to touch him.

Nathan suddenly drew back, straightening his shoulders and trying to escape from the memories of his mom. "I can't remember the last time someone actually cared about whether I learned something or not," he slowly confessed, looking up to meet her big brown eyes. Haley James was part of one of the biggest if not one of the least affluent families in town. She couldn't possibly understand what it felt like to be so alone.

"I'm sure your mom and dad care about you passing, Nate," she said, before realizing her mistake. She turned red, flustered at mentioning his mom. It had taken her years to stop doing the same thing with Lucas, always censoring "mom and dad" so that it was only "mom". Nothing like people always bringing up a set of parents when all you had was one. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to…" she began, distinctly upset that she'd brought up such a painful topic. Well, she assumed it was painful, since Lucas always hated it when someone asked him about his parents.

Nathan waved off her apology, secretly touched that she was sweet enough to be concerned about his feelings. Most people just assumed he was over his mother's death and Nathan never bothered to correct them. He wasn't exactly good at sharing his thoughts and feelings, but something about Haley made him want to try. "My mom's been gone now for eight years. You'd think I'd be used to it by now," he woodenly replied, taking a page from the Dan Scott school of emotional deprivation. The sympathy in her eyes was too much for him to take, and he adverted his eyes so that she'd not see the tears that were threatening to well up.

Without another thought, Haley spontaneously reached over and hugged him, startling both of them. She hated to see anyone or any creature suffer when she could do something to help them. It was her nature to soothe and comfort. And she could tell that Nathan desperately needed some comfort.

Nathan sank against her small, warm body and momentarily let his mind relax, temporarily forgetting about the big game in two hours and the entire town's expectations that he'd win another game for Tree Hill. Not to mention his father's insane goals and expectations. For a few moments, Nathan had a brief respite from the constant pressure that his life had become.

He fought the urge to pull her closer to him, to take refuge in the safety he found in her arms. Nathan was perilously close to crying. It had been a long time since he'd gotten a hug from someone who didn't attach sex to it as a prerequisite. He loved his dad, but Dan was not overly affectionate, nor was he comfortable with the touchy feely side of parenting. Hugs and other forms of demonstrative affection had been rare over the years. With no aunts or other motherly types in his life, Nathan sometimes found himself yearning for a reassuring squeeze or a quick embrace.

Reluctantly, Nathan pulled back, ending their contact. Like it or not, he had a game to focus on, and he didn't need any other distractions than his twit of a half brother. Their eyes awkwardly met, each trying to play off what had just happened.

Nathan turned back to his history book, before taking another look at her and breaking the awkward silence that had descended on the room. "You should come to my after game party tonight at the beach house," he invited, failing to stop the ultra distracting thoughts about how pretty and sweet she was.

"Oh, I'm going to be there," she confirmed, much to Nate's confusion. "Luke asked me to go with him," she clarified, noting the immediately frown that appeared on his face at the mention of his half brother.

Nate shrugged his shoulders and occupied himself with twirling his pencil around on the countertop, not wanting to show how much he hated that she was friends with his brother.

"You two seem tight," he neutrally observed, trying to cop a casualness he didn't feel. Why should he care who the bastard spawn dated?

"No tighter than you and Brooke," Haley retorted, wondering why he could be close friends with a member of the opposite sex, but that he felt he could call her on the same thing. That she even cared what Nathan Scott thought about her and Luke ticked her off. Since when did she care what he thought about her and her friends?

"I'm not taking my friend Brooke to the party as a date," he offered, trying to make some point, even if he wasn't clear what that point was. Every one at school knew that he and Brooke were just friends. Sure, they'd kissed a few times when they were kids, and experimented some, but they had no romantic feelings toward the other. He couldn't say the same thing about Haley and Lucas. Granted he didn't know much about either of them, but they were practically joined at the hip.

She carefully examined the expression on his face. Her "girl" sense was going off, sending out vague warning bells. If she weren't so aware of their situation, she'd have thought Nathan was jealous. "I'm going with Luke to make sure that the two of you don't kill each other," she elaborated, hoping that quelled the dangerous look on his face. "I'm a little surprised that you even invited him."

The team's hazing of Lucas had been a major part of her refusal to tutor Nathan. But as the weeks of school had passed, and Nathan had burned through the rest of the school's tutors, she'd agreed to help him only if the hazing stopped. Even as she capitulated to the principal's wish that she help the guy, Haley resented the fact that the school was not immune to the pressure of Dan Scott. What the man wanted, he got. And he wanted the school's best tutor for his son. That annoyed her, because he clearly wasn't concerned about Nathan learning anything, only that he remain eligible for sports.

Pressure or not, Nathan needed a good tutor more than she needed her job. Haley had agreed to help Nathan, but only if he stopped harassing her friend. Lucas was a good guy and he didn't need the mindless hazing that was being heaped on him by Nathan and his fellow goons. He knew the deal and he knew she wasn't just threatening to walk. If Nathan did one more mean thing to Lucas, she'd quit her job as a tutor before allowing herself to be blackmailed into helping Dan Scott's son.

"I invited the team and Lucas is part of the team," he clarified, not wanting anyone to think he invited Lucas out of the goodness of his heart. When it came to the fair-haired boy, Nate had no goodness left for him. The closeness of their earlier hug dissipated, leaving Nathan miffed that she'd automatically assumed he was out to hurt people. He should watch it next time, and not let her get that close to him again. "Look we aren't planning anything other than ignoring him, like usual."

Nate didn't tell her that just having Lucas at his beach house, surrounded by pictures of him and his dad was torture enough for the brat. Nathan knew that Lucas was jealous and not just for all the nice things his dad gave him. Lucas coveted his father and all the attention he gave Nathan. For all his angry rhetoric, his bastard brother was as fascinated with his distant father as he was repulsed. Nathan could see it on his brother's face every time Dan Scott was in his line of sight.

He got so sick of Luke's wounded puppy act. Every female he knew longed to comfort the poor, fatherless waif. But if anything happened to Karen, Luke still had Keith. And barring his uncle, Lucas still had a biological father. Nathan was the one who was one accident away from being an orphan. He didn't have anyone other than Dan: Keith was a virtual stranger to him, his mother was dead and his grandparents were infrequent visitors who dropped birthday cards and had sporadic visits. Lucas, by comparison, seemed rich when it came to people that adored and cared for him.

Haley stared intently at the boy who sat across from her, watching as several emotions washed over his handsome visage. The past two weeks of tutoring him had revealed a depth she'd previously not thought him capable of. And while Haley despised sports in particular, she'd found an easy rapport with the star athlete.

'Once she'd given him a chance,' she silently admitted to herself. She'd prejudged him solely because he disliked her best friend. Now she found herself wishing that Luke and Nathan could see each other the way she saw them.

"Well, Lucas and I will be there, so I guess I'll see you later," she concluded, feeling a sudden need for clear air, air that was free of Nathan's potent pherenomes. That had to be the explanation, she reasoned. It had to be some biological agent that was capable of clouding her better judgment and making her stare longingly at his ass.

He watched as she gathered her books and dumped them in her backpack, smiling despite his best efforts to remain distant. Something about this girl made him happy. She was coming to his party, even if it was as his mortal enemy's date. Even if it was to ensure that Nathan didn't beat up her best friend.

"I'll save ya a beer and a dance," he offered, with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Brooke may have been the driving force behind Nathan issuing Lucas an invitation, but his actions were reaping big rewards for himself.

Haley walked out of the massive kitchen, under the high, vaulted ceilings toward the front door. She considered his words and turned toward him. "I'll hold you to that promise," she flirted, before slamming the door shut behind her.

Nate leaned against the massive door, as a goofy grin covered his face. He jumped, hearing the door to the door to the garage slam shut.

"Nate! Snap to, you've got a game in two hours," Dan ordered, trying to place the source of his son's happiness. Dan frowned in confusion, his eyes moving from the books on the counter to the smile on his son's face. 'No way studying could have that affect on his boy,' Dan thought. He shook it off and followed Nathan into the living room for one last pre-game pep talk.

* * *

Lucas wiped his forehead with a greasy hand, before finally giving up on the engine he was working on. He only had a little bit of time left before the big game against Lexington, their conference rival. Sighing, he wiped his hands off on a rag as he headed toward the big sink in the back of the shop. Slopping the grease removing soap on his hands, Lucas absently dug at the stubborn, ever present grease that lodged under his fingernail bed. While he loved helping his uncle out at the shop, he hated that his hands and clothes left the garage with obvious signs of his manual labor. In contrast to his brother, who rarely got his hands dirty for any reason. He absently focused on the future, on life after college that promised a 9 to 5 weekday job in an air-conditioned office. That was part of his motivation to do well in school and part of his larger middle class aspirations.

Luke shook that thought off, refusing to get stuck obsessing about how unfair life was. While Nathan threw beer blasts and drove expensive cars, Lucas spent most of his free time working for a little extra spending money. He frowned, disappointed in himself for being so materialistic, but it was hard not to be jealous when he knew that Nathan was probably sitting down in front of his high def TV, relaxing before their game, while Lucas expended his extra energy on a stubborn gear shaft.

Wiping his hands on an old towel, Luke leaned against the wall and took a moment to unwind. He was more fortunate than some of his friends, he realized. He had a mother that always provided him with food and shelter, even if it wasn't in the town's best restaurants or most exclusive zip code. And Lucas knew he that he was lucky to have an awesome memory, allowing him to get by with less studying than Haley or any of his other school friends. It would be much worse if he had to work and practice and study all the time. His grades might fall down to Nate's level, he humorless thought.

The guy's arrogance rivaled only that of his biological father's. Both Nathan and Dan were egomaniacs that thought the town should build a monument to their basketball prowess. Luke fought off a wave of bitterness, realizing that he'd probably be the team's star player (and not merely the second best player) if he'd attended fancy basketball summer camps his entire life. But Lucas' knew his game had heart, and what he lacked in formal training, his passion for the game helped him rise above most of his competitors. Competitors that were on other teams, as well as on his own team. But he'd endure the team's hazing because he refused to buckle under their demeaning games. Haley called Lucas the most stubborn person she'd ever met, and there was a lot of truth in that comment. But more than that, Lucas refused to let Nathan and Dan win. And they'd have the final victory if Lucas quit the team, unable to cope with their cruel comments and actions.

Hearing a noise near the large open bay at the front of the shop, Lucas curiously looked up to see who his visitor was. A slight frown creased his brow upon seeing his Uncle Keith with a petite blonde lady. Anna.

Keith had spent hours talking about his new "friend" while he and Lucas worked on cars together. Lucas had managed to successfully avoid meeting her, until today. It wasn't that he disliked her. In fact, he knew little to nothing about the woman. She was new to town, and had met Keith after a freak flat tired had left her stranded in front of his shop. Two months later, the two were openly dating, much to Luke's chagrin. Deep down, he secretly hoped that his mom and Keith would get back together, realizing in their time apart what the other meant to them. He hadn't expected that Keith would actually meet someone and fall in love. It was hard to play matchmaker when the subjects weren't playing by his rules.

"Luke!" Keith happily called out, practically dragging the poor woman behind him. Luke stared at her a moment and realized that she knew this was a test and she wasn't much happier about it than he was. Vaguely, he recalled his friends talking about parental post divorcing dating, and being forced to meet new, potential stepparents. Luke had scoffed at that, knowing that his mother rarely dated. But he now felt that same pressure, regardless of Keith just being his uncle, and not his father.

"Hey," Luke answered in a noncommittal tone. Keith could tell the boy was uncomfortable, never happy to be meeting new people. But he pushed on anyway. "We just got back from picking up that part for the Taylor's car." He'd waited until Anna got out of school and they'd driven up to Charlotte together, having a great time and enjoying what was left of the warm weather. "Luke, I want you to meet Anna."

He practically shoved her in front of the boy, desperately hoping his nephew liked her. Keith knew Luke had taken the break up with Karen badly, and he didn't want to add any stress by dating a woman that his nephew didn't like. Luke remained silent, so Anna stuck her hand out, trying to fashion a better greeting. "Your uncle has told me a lot about you," she tentatively began.

Luke slowly reached out and shook her hand, glad that he'd paid close attention to getting all the grease off his hands. This was definitely a woman who didn't need grease in her life. He surreptitiously took in her tailored pink sweater set and wool pants and wondered how she and his uncle had found anything in common. Keith was a great guy, but he was very low maintenance. And Anna, while not snobby or anything, looked well put together and conscious of her appearance.

"Keith tells me that you teach fifth grade at the elementary school. Did Mrs. Lynch finally retire or did she die?" he asked, only half joking. The old bat had made his life hell the year he'd been in her class, and he could only be happy that some other boy from the wrong side of the tracks didn't have to endure her condescending ways. Then again, the woman was also a neighbor of Dan's, which explained of a lot of her passive-aggressive behavior toward Luke when he was in her class. He understood that now but it had been harder to deal with when he was younger, as most of his teachers generally liked him.

"She finally retired. I hear that they pretty much had to push her out the door, but her last hip replacement really affected her mobility," Anna replied, before both of them cracked up laughing. Luke privately assumed Mrs. Lynch was older than the town itself, and was happy to find someone honest enough to agree with him.

Keith pulled some drinks out of the old fridge near the office and handed one to them, encouraged that Anna had managed to get Luke to laugh during their first encounter. He'd known people that had been around him their entire life that couldn't get a smile out of his overly serious nephew.

He was worried about his oldest nephew. Keith had sensed a growing distance between the two of them since he and Karen had broken up. He'd done everything he could to reassure Lucas that they'd always be close, regardless of who he was dating. But there was a noticeable difference in Lucas the past month or so, and Keith couldn't shake the feeling that the boy was studying him, and his words. If he'd been a suspicious man, Keith would have thought that Lucas was evaluating everything his uncle said, waiting for some kind of deception or lie. He'd tried to get the boy to open up, but Luke wasn't talking very much.

Luke scrutinized the couple as he downed his drink. Keith had his hand protectively on the small of Anna's back, and the two were practically beaming. "So, how'd you end up in Tree Hill?" Lucas asked, more to be polite than out of curiosity. While the town exported talented youth to larger cities and other states, it very rarely pulled in newcomers who weren't already tied to the area via their family.

"I wanted a change of pace from city life, so I applied for the job over the summer," she added, smiling broadly at her boyfriend's nephew.

"It must have been hard to leave your family and friends," Lucas prompted, openly digging for the woman's background information.

Keith gave Lucas a quizzical look, before speaking. "Anna doesn't have any family, Luke. That's one reason she decided to move across the state." Lucas hadn't tried to be rude, but if this woman was going to be in his uncle's life, then he wanted to make sure she was okay.

They stood there for a moment in awkward silence. Luke decided that she was a pretty woman, with pale blonde hair that trailed down her back. Her clear blue eyes and pale skin reminded Luke of a china doll that Haley had once owned. She was pretty, but certainly no prettier than his mother.

Draining the rest of his drink, Luke crushed the can and banked it off the far wall of the shop, into a metal drum they used for trash. "I need to get going, Keith. I need to rest before tonight's game."

Keith nodded, relieved that their first meeting had gone so well. Anna smiled up at Luke, who towered over her petite frame. "I can't wait to see you play tonight, Lucas. Your uncle talks nonstop about how his talented nephews dominate the basketball team." Luke's immediately dropped at her inclusion of Nathan. It was one thing for everyone to know that Keith had another nephew, but it bothered Lucas to know that Keith included Nathan in his conversations.

"Yeah, I guess I'll see you both there," he muttered, anxious to get away from the couple. He'd been planning on using his games to get his mom back together with Keith. After all, there was no better place than a basketball game to fall in love.

* * *

He…I never thought tutoring athletes for 8 years in college would ever pay off in my fiction. Also, any similarities between what happens in this story and OTH are total coincidences. I write stuff because the show isn't covering something I'd like to see, so when the show airs something similar to what I have planned in my story, it bugs me! Replies are always appreciated and encourage new chapters! Thanks.


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

  


* * *

  


A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 3

* * *

The gym was filled with an air of anticipation as the fans sensed that they were on the edge of another victory in their undefeated season. The Ravens were up by three points with only five minutes left in the game.

Dan sat on the edge of the bleacher, a look of concern etched on his face. Five minutes was an eternity in basketball. Games could be won and lost several times within that seemingly endless time span. One mistake could put their rival ahead on the scoreboard. Dan's shoulders tensed up as Tim threw the ball in a cross court pass to Nathan. His eyes followed Nate as his son fired off a three pointer. Smiling, Dan noted Nate's correct form and excellent release on the shot, glad to see that his constant coaching had paid off.

His smile faded as Lucas stole the ball from the other team and broke away for a dunk. The boy's vertical jump paled in comparison to his shooting ability, he noted, seeing how low Luke's dunk was compared to Nate's. As the crowd roared in approval of the move, Dan's eyes inadvertently drifted a few rows down the bleachers where Karen sat. Her dark hair shined in the bright lights of the gym, as she leaned next to her companion and whispered some reaction as her son scored.

Dan recognized her friend as a fellow booster and former classmate. A frown creased his brow, as Dan realized that Karen was becoming part of his social circle once again, despite their unspoken agreement to avoid each other. As Lucas become a central part of the team, Karen became reconnected to friends she'd written off after her son's birth. The team boosters always managed to rope all the parents into involvement, eventually Karen would be in Dan's life more than ever.

The game momentarily forgotten, Dan studied his ex-love, taking in her pleasant features. She simply did not look old enough to have a 16 year old son. Karen was as pretty now as she had been in high school, he wistfully thought. She'd always had that affect on him, leaving him speechless.

Feeling an intense feeling of scrutiny, Karen turned to see Dan staring at her, their deep blue eyes meeting for the first time in what felt like years. They locked eyes, neither willing to be the first to look away. It was a familiar battle of wills, she realized, knowing that Dan would not give her the satisfaction of looking away first, at ever balking at a challenge to his will.

As the roar of the crowd broke their reverie, the moment official was over. Dan gave her a slight node before turning his gaze back to the court, watching as the Ravens congratulated Tim for hitting a jump shot. The game teetered back and forth, both teams fighting for every advantage they could get.

Distracted, Dan missed the shoving match that was taking place between his sons on the floor. Karen grimaced, noting the tension between her son and his half brother. She'd hoped that over time the shared experience of basketball would bring the brothers together. Unfortunately, the sport had managed to become one more point of contention between Nathan and Lucas.

"Pick up the pace, loser," Nate yelled, shoving Lucas in the back, between his shoulder blades. Lucas responded by thrusting an elbow into Nate's ribs, smiling as his half brother lost some of the smirk in his expression. "What's a matter, Nate? Can't take the pressure?" Lucas shot back, pausing to grab a rebound. Nate hesitated for a second, torn between retaliating and getting to the top of the circle to play offense. He settled for giving Luke a nasty look before running to his position for the play.

Haley sat next to Keith and Anna, dismayed at the very public hatred between the two boys. How anyone could be so nasty to their own sibling was incomprehensible to Haley. While she'd grown tired of having to share everything in her life, she'd never resorted to hitting or insulting any of her siblings. She looked over at Keith who shared her look of concern. "I can't believe that they are risking the game like this," he observed, seeing Luke go out of his way to get in Nate's space on the floor. Anna took Keith's hand and gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm sure that this is just a phase," she reassured them, even as her eyes grew wide at the total hatred she read on both of his nephew's faces.

Haley stared back at the floor, as Jake drew a foul and the teams lined up for a free throw opportunity. The angry voices of the Scott Brothers momentarily hushed the crowd, drawing all attention to the court. As the boys lined up for the foul shot, Dan frowned at the interaction of Lucas and Nathan. Their words were indistinct, but it was obvious that they'd spent the last few minutes of the game focusing more on insulting each other than focusing on the game. From sideline, Whitey yelled at them, instructing them to focus on rebounding and to cut out the chatter.

Dan looked over at his former coach, as Whitey shot him a satisfied look. He'd predicted that Dan's treatment and isolation of Lucas would result in turmoil and he was right. If Danny had just tried to be nice to the boy, his sons wouldn't be making asses out of them selves in the middle of the most important game of the season. The grizzled coach turned away from his former star player and back to the court where his current stars' voices were beginning to ring out clearly above the den of the crowd's excitement.

Peyton sighed, forcing one curl to flow out of her eyes, before settling back down over her right eye once more. She watched from the baseline as her ex-boyfriend and current fling insulted one another. She glanced over at Brooke, who stared at the boys in concern, as well. They both mechanically cheered as Jake's first shot sank gracefully through the net. Neither of them felt any excitement at the carnage that was taking place in front of them.

The boy's lined up for Jake's second shot. Noticing the tension among the Raven players, a player from Lexington nudged Tim. "Are they always this bitchy?" he asked, genuinely interested if this snarkfest was for real or just a show for their benefit. Tim looked across the lane, to the other side of the line, where the Scott brothers traded insults behind another Lexington player's back.

"Why'd you take the name off your jersey? Oh wait, that's right. You don't really have a father to give you a last name, do you?" Nate tossed out, not hesitating to use Dan to hurt and belittled his brother. Tim rolled his eyes and answered the other player's question. "This is nothing compared to practice," he admitted, growing weary of the sideshow the brothers were attracted.

Jake's second shot slowly circled the rim before gently rolling through the net. Brooke jumped up and started a victory cheer, sensing that they were indeed going to pull out the victory with only a minute left and the Ravens up by four points. Her pom- poms fell limply at her side as she watched Nathan and Lucas exchange more words as they brought the ball down the court. She stopped cheering all together as her best friend passed the ball to Tim, shoving Lucas in the back as he moved toward the baseline to wait for any potential rebound.

His patience finally gone, Lucas grabbed Nate's jersey as he ran past, flinging him into one of the other team's players. The crowd came to their feet, as the boys tumbled onto the floor, a mass of flailing arms and torn jerseys. Jake shook his head in resignation as the refs and coaches rushed in to separate the gladiatorial teammates.

Dan and Karen exchanged a short glance as their sons were thrown out of the game and sent to the locker room, giving Lexington a last gasp chance with a technical penalty shot. The boys headed off to the locker room, fuming and bloody, both fully prepared for war.

* * *

The gym slowly emptied out, the parents and students alike seeking comfort in the crisp, fresh fall air. Karen said good bye to her friend and fellow booster, as her eyes landed on Keith. And that girl. She forced herself to meet their eyes, giving them a polite but tight smile. She'd not let hurt feelings color her manners. Keith smiled at her, noting that Dan was still sitting in the bleachers, and looked back at Karen with an uncertain expression. In the past, he'd have rushed to Karen's side, eager to protect her from any possible slight that she might suffer from his brother's careless behavior. Times had changed, though, and Keith merely nodded at Dan as he guided Anna out of the gym. Karen was a big girl and she could more than handle anything Dan threw at her, and given the outcome of the game and the look of anger on his little brother's face, they were definitely going to have it out.

Dan remained sitting in the stands, focusing on anything but the woman in front of him. He watched as Keith and his new girl walked slowly out of the gym, clearly reading the hesitation on his big brother's face. Dan was shocked to learn that his brother had finally started dating Karen, but it was only a short time later that they'd broken up. Town gossip didn't shed any light on what event caused the break up, but Dan wasn't surprised. As close as Keith and Karen had been growing up, they were very different personalities. His brother was simply too mellow to harness the passion that he knew Karen possessed.

He stared down at his shoes for a moment, realizing that part of their closeness was based on his abandonment of Karen and her son. Keith had managed to step up when he had run away. Dan mentally shrugged off the past, realizing that Keith had always been the better man. No argument about that, but better man or not, Dan knew that Karen would never love Keith the way she'd loved him. It wasn't just his natural arrogance that formed that notion, but the truth. Despite how twisted their relationship had become, he and Karen had spent some very happy years together. He watched as parents claimed their sons, fresh from the showers and vaguely wondered if Whitey would let Nathan and Lucas go free any time in the next hour.

He looked up and realized that his worst nightmare was coming true, and he and Karen were alone together in the very empty gym. Karen was a scant four rows in front of him, pacing back and forth along the baseline. She was upset for some many reasons, the least of which was being stranded in a gym with Dan Scott. Her anger at Lucas' behavior was momentarily overshadowed as memories from the past assaulted her. She didn't appreciate the irony that the setting was exactly the same as 16 years before, when Dan had informed her that he was leaving for school, without her and their child.

A door slammed in the distance, and footsteps broke the eerie silence that separated the former lovers. Tim walked across the shiny wood floor, uncertainly approaching the adults. Dan stood up and slowly made his way to the floor, anticipating Tim's knowledge about Nathan. "You all may want to take a seat. Whitey's on a roll in there and they aren't likely to be out for a while," he drawled, clearly uncomfortable stuck between them. Karen muttered a polite thank you, while Dan's shoulders tensed up at the thought of his son enduring one of Whitey's endless tirades. Sons. Whatever.

As the sounds of Tim's footsteps grew distant, Karen sighed, before sitting on the front row of the bleachers. She was tempted to go home and wait to yell at her son when he got there. But she'd had a long day, working two shifts at the diner and she knew the minute she got home, she'd fall asleep. Lucas wasn't stupid, she realized. He'd stay out until his curfew, knowing his mom had to get up at the crack of dawn to open the Café for the weekend breakfast rush. This was her only chance to let him know he was in for it, while her anger was still fresh.

Dan watched her for a moment, wondering if she was reliving the past and the day he'd walked out on her. He lowered his eyes, trying to find a way to express the regret that had lived inside him, regret that he had devastated the life of the woman in front of him. He'd never known how to apologize or to make amends to anyone in his life. Most of his more outlandish actions had been over looked due to his star player status. And later when his brother avoided him and his wife cajoled him into claiming his son, Dan had simply lacked the knowledge of how to approach Karen. She could be so distant and imperious at times. Dan was basically unnerved by her ability to out argue him. She didn't have to raise her voice or physically intimidate people like he did; she managed to coerce people with her tranquil aura and steel resolve.

She sat on the bleachers in a serene manner that she didn't feel, and looked up at him expectantly. "Well, this is certainly awkward," she simply stated, figuring that when in doubt, honesty worked wonders. Dan stopped pacing, and turned to face her, a smile slowly crossing his face. "Yeah, this is pretty much my idea of an ironic nightmare gone awry." Karen raised her eyebrows at him acknowledging their shared past in this very gym. "It's hard to escape the past when you keep showing up on former battlegrounds," she acknowledged, wondering why she'd ever agreed to get involved in this mess. She should have told Lucas that she wasn't able to handle the strain of being so closely tied to Dan Scott. But her son had seen Dan dominate everything in town. Perhaps this was a misguided attempt for her to show her son that his mother wasn't a helpless victim.

Dan hesitantly walked over to sit next to her on the bleachers, making sure that he wasn't too close to her, but making sure that he also wasn't leaving too much room, like he was too good to sit next to her. Karen watched in silence as he fidgeted, first with his tie and then with crossing and uncrossing his long legs. She smiled, taking some kind of perverse pleasure in knowing that she could still cause him some discomfort, just as he caused their son immense discomfort every time they were in the same room.

He suddenly turned to her with a smile on his face. "Do you remember the night that you glued Michelle Turner's pom-poms together and then convinced her that they had mange and were sick?" Karen let out a small laugh, recalling how horrified the freshman cheerleader had been, running around asking everyone how she could "make her pom-poms better". She and Dan and their crew had laughed for a weeks about that one. "She never was the brightest bulb in the socket," Karen commented, happy that Michelle was at least cute and had married well.

Karen slightly turned to where Dan sat lost in thought and smiled at her long buried memories of the good years that they had share. Karen had spent years trying to force herself to forget any memory that included Dan, good or bad. Her anger at him for leaving both her and his child was so intense that she knew it couldn't be healthy. And indeed, she'd managed to unintentionally pass that anger on to their child. Seeing the hate that Lucas carried for Dan actually scared her. She'd never wanted this for Dan and Lucas. She'd hoped that eventually Dan would see Lucas around town and show some interest in his son. Most people enjoyed being around her little boy, as he'd had a shy presence that brought out the best in everyone he met. It was only over time that his shyness turned into distance, separating him from the rest of the kids in his class.

Karen had attributed that distance to his early rejection by Dan. And that in turned had increased her own anger toward the boy's father. Despite all those feelings, Karen knew that Lucas needed resolution with Dan. He needed to understand how his own father could be so cold and remote, even as he dotted on his other son.

The sound of raised, livid voices floated out to them from the behind the locker room doors. Dan and Karen awkwardly looked at one another, realizing that their sons were once again engaged in battle. Karen closed her eyes, wishing she could block out the entire night, along with the constant arguing between her son and Dan's. "We've got to find a way to end this before they rip each other apart." Her voice was strained, reflecting the turmoil she felt about the situation.

"I don't know to fix this one, Kar," he softly admitted, reverting to his childhood name for her. The gym was rapidly becoming a constrictive tomb for Dan. He felt trapped by his poor past decisions, the woman sitting next to him, his battling sons in the other room, and a life basically filled with guilt and regret. What had begun as an attempt to keep his two sons apart in separate worlds had devolved into trench warfare, claiming victims on either sides of the war. He looked around the gym, as if in search for the answers to life's problems. "I don't know how to stop this dynamic."

She carefully evaluated him and his words. "Do you really want it fixed, Dan? Or does part of you want to keep your sons apart, so you won't be forced to deal with Lucas?" He winced at her words, knowing that had been his intent for the past 16 years. Dan had never been good with words or expressing his feelings. He wouldn't know what to say to Lucas even if the boy attempted to hear him out, just as he couldn't find the words to tell Karen how sorry he was for what he did all those years ago.

"I never thought it would turn out like this, Karen. I didn't know that everything would be so awkward all the time, that everyone in town would be staring at us like a freak show," he admitted, knowing that his leaving had affected so many people in their small circle. He just didn't know how to stop being a jerk to his oldest son. Dan swore before every game that he was going to be nice to the kid, smile at him or do something that was a departure from their usual glarefest. But every time they were in the same room some kind of altercation inevitably took place.

Dan rubbed his eyes, attempting to soothe his growing headache. The last words Deb had muttered to him on her death bed was that she wanted him to be a good father to all three of his sons. She didn't know that their baby wouldn't survive the week. But the faith she'd had in her eyes when she'd said those words haunted Dan. No matter what mistakes he'd made, she always saw the potential within him to be a good father. And reuniting him with Lucas had always been her pet project. Sighing, he looked out across the wood floor, the location where so many of his most triumphant moments in life had taken place. Yet for all that glory, he couldn't honor the last wishes of his wife, just as he couldn't say the words he needed to say to Karen or Lucas.

Karen watched him, instantly knowing that look in his eyes. One perk of having spent so much time with him growing up, she mused. Dan was a classic glutton for punishment. He always deeply regretted his stupid mistakes, but he wasn't able to say the words of remorse to lessen the other person's pain, nor could he learn from the past and stop making the same mistakes over and over. Her heart softened a bit, seeing the pain in his eyes. "What do you want, Dan? Do you want to fix the entire situation, or just get our sons to the point where they aren't getting thrown out of games?"

He looked over at her with an unusual intensity. "I want the hatred to end, Kar. It's going to be a long season, and that means you and I will be spending a lot of time together with boosters and team events. Nate and Lucas are going to destroy their season if we can't find a way to stop all the fighting. I just want things to be normal," he admitted, before they both considered his words and died laughing.

"Normal? Well, that's certainly a unique quality for this town," Karen noted, feeling the mood lighten immensely. She knew Dan well enough to know when he was lying and when he was sincere. There was a genuine look on his face that she'd not seen in a long time, not even when he'd promised her that he'd leave school for her, promising that he'd help raise their baby.

"So, we'll try to make things as normal as possible so the next few months aren't a living hell?" he tentatively asked, not sure what actually was taking place.

Karen considered his words, recalling how sad her son had been the past few months without Keith in his life. All she'd ever wanted to give her son was a father and real sense of family. If she could some way stop her son's open wound from hemorrhaging, she had to try. And constantly seeing his father around town and never speaking to him was a wound that Lucas had carried his entire life.

She nodded her head in response to his question. "But Dan, I'm warning you. If you hurt my son, I'll glue some things together that will make the pom-poms look like child's play," she sweetly said. Dan took in her words and slowly nodded, realizing that she was seriously threatening some of his various body parts. A smile broke across his face and the two shared in the joke, their laughter floating across the gym.

Lucas and Nate stood at the door to the locker room, stunned by the site of their parents sitting next to each other, laughing. The past hour had been hell, with Whitey threatening to bench them for nearly losing the game with their asinine behavior. He'd only let them go when words failed him and he'd stormed off to his office to escape the sight of them.

Anxious to get on with their social plans for the night, and eager to leave behind their shoving match, the two had quickly showered and left the locker room together in silence. Now, seeing their parents talking, the two stared at one another in shock.

"Can this night get any more bizarre?" Nathan muttered, not really speaking to Lucas but to the room in general. Karen and Dan looked up, seeing their sons approach and abruptly stopped talking. Dan smiled hesitantly at both boys, unsure of how to act around his oldest son. But he'd promised Karen he was going to try fixing things with Lucas and there was no better time to start than the present.

Lucas walked over to where Karen was now standing and gently took her elbow, staring daggers at Dan the entire time. The hesitant, tight smile that the man gave him only served to unnerve Lucas. He could deal with Dan when it came to insults and sneering looks, but this faux niceness was creeping Lucas out.

"Let's go, mom. I'm sorry to have left you all alone," he said, loud enough for Dan to hear the insult. Of course he'd consider being alone with Dan as being truly alone. The man didn't exist for Lucas on any level, except the darkest recesses of his darkest contemplations. That's the only time Luke would allow himself to wonder about what the man was like.

Karen turned and gave Dan a tiny smile, even as Nathan regarded her with suspicious eyes. He didn't like what he was seeing between these two. He didn't like it all.

* * *

Brooke bounded down the curved stair case in her home, intent on getting to Nathan's party. After checking to make sure that he was still alive to host the party, Brooke had shimmed out of her cheerleading uniform and slithered into her favorite low cut blue jeans and tight black shirt. Hearing a noise, she froze at the foot of the stairs, slowly turning around to see her mother and step-father in the expansive entryway of their colossal home. A cursory glance around the ornate space found a stack of Louis Vuitton luggage and other signs that they were back from where ever they'd been.

"Mother," Brooke neutrally greeted the older woman, taking in her face for any signs of botox or plastic surgery. She wasn't interested enough in what her mom did when she went away on these trips to ask about it, but she secretly suspected that the woman was on a desperate hunt for the fountain of youth. Almost as an afterthought, she turned and greeted her step-father. "Trey." A one word greeting for a one note man, she cynically thought.

"Brooke darling," her mother drawled out, having perfected the southern belle sorority girl sugar tone from years of practice. Brooke wanted to wince at the emptiness of the greeting and the lack of affection that formed the basis of their non-relationship. As her mother pulled back from their "pseudo" hug (one that involved minimal and potentially disheveling contact), she ran a critical eye over her daughter's form. "You aren't going out in that shirt, are you, dear? It makes you look like a linebacker through the shoulders."

Brooke wanted to wince as much from her mother's constant criticism as the eye that her stepfather was giving her. Trey obviously had less of a problem with her outfit. "She looks fine, Katherine. That's how all the girls dress these days," he explained, as his wife walked over to the mail basket to check for any party invitations that might have arrived during her absence.

Shaking her head, Brooke realized that her mother had already forgotten her. That was the woman's style: greet, criticize, withdraw. Brooke had gotten used to it the past 16 years, not having much else to fall back on. She hedged closer and closer to the door, desperately seeking escape from this mental ward she called home. All she wanted to do was get to Nate's beach house, flirt with Lucas and have some fun. This parental nightmare was definitely not on her agenda for the night.

"Brookie," a voice called out, stopping her progress toward the door. Turning, she found Trey standing entirely too close to her. "I just wanted to make sure you had enough money for tonight," he softly said, pulling a wad of bills out of his suit jacket's inner pocket. He held the money in front of her for a moment, before sliding his hand around her waist and down the back of her tight jeans. Brooke froze, unable to breathe or even call out to her mother, who was standing not ten feet away going through her mail, yet again oblivious to her surroundings.

Trey leered at her a moment, before bending over her and whispering in her ear. "I think you look hot in that outfit, don't let you mother's opinion bother you." He pulled back from her face, taking in her shocked expression. His hand remained on her ass for a moment, before dipping lower. Trey slid the wad of bills in her back pocket, squeezing her in the process, only pulling his hand away when his wife's annoyed voice carried across the marble room.

"For god's sake," Katherine's cold voice called out, jump starting Brooke's breathing process. She felt relieved that her mother had finally witnessed what a freaking creep her step-father was, and even more relieved that she was upset about her husband's inappropriate touching.

"Stand up straight, Brooke. You have the posture of a waitress," her mother commented, illustrating the proper way to hold one's shoulders back in good form. "I swear, all those years of charm school and dance lessons and you still have horrible form."

Brooke's heart dropped, realizing that her mother wasn't paying attention to anything that was happening around her, not that she ever had. Brooke slowly backed her way to the door, staring at Trey as she did so. He raised his eyebrows at her in a suggestive manner, even as he smirked at her. Brooke slowly turned and fled the house, running for the relative safety of her car.

Her hands were shaking so hard that she had to fumble with the remote several times to get the doors open. Once inside, she slammed her hand over the lock button, making sure that no one could get in the car with her. She shifted uneasily, quickly pulling the wad of money out of her pocket. She stared at it in disgust, wondering if everyone thought she was a whore who could be bought off with money. Wiping tears from her eyes, Brooke threw the money on the passenger floorboard and started her car, needing the heater to help ward off the cold that had descended over her body. Ten minutes later, she roared out of the driveway, still shaking but desperate enough to risk driving under the circumstances.

As she turned onto the road that led east to the beach, she tried to focus on traffic and not the images that kept flashing in her mind. He was going to get away with it. Trey was going to continue to stalk Brooke in her own home, under her mom's nose, no matter what she did to stop him. After all, she couldn't stop his son and she'd not be able to stop his father.

She looked up, shocked to find herself at Nate's beach house. She fretted for a moment, knowing it probably wasn't a good thing that she'd not remember a single moment of the drive. Closing her eyes, Brooke forced herself to relax, to forget about the night of her mom's wedding, trying to forget the images of her very pink room and the boy who ignored her drunken pleas to stop.

She snapped to attention, hearing someone call out her name from the house's wrap around porch. She took another deep breath and got out of the car, walking with an exaggerated swagger that she didn't feel inside. It was all about image and the outer shell that you portrayed to the world. Brooke had mastered that years ago, and fell back into robot party girl mode, safe from any thoughts that might try to surface. There were ways to forget about that night, ways to stop thinking so much about past events she couldn't change. She made her way into the house, calling out greetings to all her friends and admirers. It only took a few minutes before she had a blue plastic cup filled with some thing alcoholic. She raised the cup to her lips, smirking even as she downed it in a single gulp.

The night was still young.

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

AN: I'm trying to figure out a posting schedule. I'll probably post another chapter to see if there is an interest in continuing and then figure out what day to post.

I don't own OTH or anything else MS has fondled.

* * *

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 4

* * *

The pounding beat of the music pulsated through the beach house, creating an atmosphere that was part nightclub and part chaos. Brooke leaned against the green marble counter in the kitchen, her head pounding in rhythm to the music. She'd been out of that house for almost an hour and her hands were still shaking, an after affect of her encounter with the evil step monster. Sighing, she downed her cup and motioned for Nathan to refill it from the keg.

He proceeded toward the keg, while carefully observing Brooke on the sly. Something was definitely off with her tonight. Hell, something had been off for months, he realized.

"Here ya go," he handed her the plastic blue cup, searching his brain for a way to find out what was going on with his friend.

Brooke nodded her thanks, while carefully scanning the room for any unknown threat that might be lurking. The open format of the kitchen allowed her to check out the action in the living areas and the foyer, making sure she could see all the people around her. She let Nathan stare at her for a few minutes, before she turned her head and snarked, "I'm not a zoo exhibit, Nate. Go stare at some other girl." After five beers, she was still on edge and her nerves were fried.

"I'm worried about you, Brooke," he carefully stated, never knowing what would set her off these days. The girl had a spirit like fine crystal: inexplicably strong at some points, and utter fragile at others. "You just look upset about something. I'm always here if you need someone to talk to." Nathan mentally calculated, figuring that Brooke had been acting strange ever since the divorce. Maybe she was just struggling with the new stepfamily, he thought, knowing first hand how hard it was to adapt to changes in the family structure.

Fighting back tears, Brooke mutely nodded at him, staring at a spot on the wall behind his head. There were just some things you couldn't tell a guy, no matter how close they were to you. Brooke realized that there was no one, guy or girl, she could trust with this situation. She'd already tried to explain it to Peyton, who thought she was totally over-reacting. "Thanks, Nate. I really appreciate it," she mumbled, suddenly uncomfortable as his stare grew more analytical. She quickly turned around, searching for more beer. Beer was the perfect way to numb her mind to match her already numb body.

Nathan silently watched as she left the kitchen, more than ever convinced that something serious was going on. It wasn't like Brooke to remain silent for long he rationalized. She never could keep a secret whether it was about her parent's affairs or her latest crush. It was only a matter of time before she confided in him.

Pulling out a bar stool, Nate sat off to the side of the kitchen, letting the party rage on around him. His ears were still ringing from the bitchfest his father had given him after the game. Nate realized he was lucky to still be having the party after Dan had spent an hour outlining the evils of scouts seeing you fight with a teammate. It was one thing to haze the kid a bit, he'd declared, but getting thrown out of the game for it was an entirely different situation. Staring off into space, Nate wondered if he and his dad had ever had a conversation that didn't include the words scouts or stats. There just had to be more to life than basketball. Nathan didn't see the point of getting a scholarship anyway. Dan had tons of money and could afford any college desperate enough to accept his son. He tiredly rubbed at his eyes, knowing that some of his teammates, like Lucas, would not go to college without a scholarship. He wasn't sure if he should feel guilty about his half brother not sharing in their father's wealth, or angry that Luke had avoided his share of fatherly expectations.

Hearing a roar of greeting, Nate turned around, seeing Haley and Lucas at the door of the kitchen. He lost his earlier contemplations and headed toward the couple.

* * *

Lucas hesitated a moment, before shoving the gearshift into park and turning the truck off. His mood was generally gloomy, but after being thrown out of the game, lectured endlessly by Whitey and then bitched at by his mother, he was not in the mood for a party at his evil half brother's vacation house.

"Lucas, if you are this wound up, we should just go home," Haley said, knowing the look on his face. He had the fur on his back up and he was begging for another opportunity to go at Nathan. "Come on, we can get an action movie, pick up a pizza, and have a good old fashion movie night," she cajoled, not knowing if she had enough energy to play referee tonight.

He shook his head, stubbornly refusing to give in. "Haley, why should I have to avoid my teammates just because of Nathan? Don't I have the right to go to a party, too?" Truthfully, he didn't want to be anywhere near his mother right now. She was furious about the game and had already threatened to take him off the team if the fighting didn't stop. It hadn't helped matters that Lucas brought up the fact that she was socializing with Dan earlier that night. Karen's reaction to that observation was bizarre. She looked more guilty than angry that Lucas would use that to distract attention away from his fight with Nathan. Lucas frowned, realizing that there were so many things that he didn't know, so many facts about the past and his parents and little details that they were all conspiring to keep away from him. The memory of the secret photo album still haunted his thoughts. Lucas had seen them talking after the game, with their heads close together, sharing a laugh, and he couldn't shake the feeling that Dan and Karen had secrets.

Haley fought to contain a snort of disgust at his words, failing miserably. "First of all, you hate parties. Luke, you are the most anti-social person that I know. And if this were any other party, you'd probably blow it off in favor of reading a book."

Luke's avoided her stern gaze, knowing that in truth, she was right. He didn't love parties or groups of people. It was too stressful for him to deal with that many people in a social situation. Normally, he preferred people in two's or four's, but not groups. He just didn't want to go home and co-exist with his mom right now. And there was always the possibility that Brooke or Peyton would show up, as well.

Luke frowned, knowing that Haley was totally missing his point. "If I limited places that I went based on Nathan and Dan, I'd never leave my room. I have every right to be here with my friends," he ardently finished.

"Friends? Or Peyton and Brooke? I can't keep track of who you are stalking this week, but I do know that you don't have many friends on that team. Not ones that you'd voluntarily hang out with," Haley remarked, seeing the frustration on his face. She softened a bit, knowing that Lucas had internal demons that only he truly understood.

"I'm just saying that you don't have to go to this party to make a statement, Luke."

Nodding, he sat there a moment, before opening the door and getting out of the truck. He had agendas that didn't include Nathan. And he didn't see any reason to not pursue them.

Haley rolled her eyes before jumping out and running to catch up with him.

* * *

Lucas walked into the foyer of the beach house and stopped, taking time to look around in amazement. He didn't need a degree in interior design to know that this place was expensively decorated. Haley nearly plowed into the back of him before she too stopped and looked around. "Wow, I can't believe they even let kids under 18 in this place," she commented, before looking at a mute Lucas.

She followed his eyes to the huge family portrait that hung over the marble fireplace in the living room. It was the focal point of the room, and lavish enough to stand out all the way in the foyer. The smiling faces of Dan and a much younger Nathan stared out at them, resplendent on the oil painted canvas. A woman that Haley assumed was Nate's mom sat between the two, smiling serenely at the artist.

"Well, at least I know where several of my child support payments went," Lucas mumbled, knowing that gilded frame alone would have fed him for months. He forced himself to calm down, knowing that his anger wouldn't get him very far. He'd wanted this his entire life. He'd wanted to travel in the same circles as his other family and see what their lives were like. It didn't take a genius to realize that Nathan and Dan were rich. But it was one thing to intellectually understand that and another thing to be confronted with so much squandered money. He loved the little house that he shared with his mom. It was just the right size for the two of them and the well-worn furniture was comfortable, if not stylish. It was like living in his favorite hoodie, he realized. But there was a basic injustice in the way he lived and the way Nathan lived. It wasn't fair, he childishly thought.

Haley followed Lucas from room to room as he distantly inspected the rooms' contents, studying all the family heirlooms. She frowned, comprehending that Lucas was basically inventorying all the family pictures he could find. "Luke, I don't have to have a psychology degree to know this isn't healthy." She knew he had so many mixed emotions about Dan that it was hard to express, but she'd never seen her friend this on edge before. Luke paused a moment, digesting her words, before closing his eyes and slowly exhaling.

"I just need to understand them, Hales. I want to have some information, so that I can put things into context." Lucas could admit that he was confused about all his conflicted feelings. He'd never really been force to deal with them because he'd never been around Dan or Nathan. But the more he interacted with them the more information he craved.

"They're just pictures, Luke. Pictures and a lot of expensive furniture that will be covered in beer cans before the night is over. This stuff isn't going to give you the answers you need," she softly explained, trying to be heard over the pounding music, but still trying to be discreet. She knew that Luke's pride would never admit to being curious in or hurt by his other family.

He remained quiet, trying to process everything he could. It was nearly overwhelming trying to sort out all his confused and conflicted feelings. He'd given up rationalizing his thoughts when he caught a glimpse of shiny blonde curls bouncing in the corner of the room. Haley followed his eyes over to where Peyton stood talking to some of her cheerleaders. Fickle though she might be, Haley knew that Lucas had not completely let go of his obsession with the petite blonde.

Haley turned around, not wanting to watch the train wreck of Lucas and Peyton. She jumped back, unprepared to be face to face with Nathan. A slow smile crossed his face as he watched her cheeks flush pink. There was something so compelling about her naivety. While most of the girls at the party were half naked and drunk off their asses, Haley was refreshingly sedate and natural. She didn't have to wear short skirts to get his attention, he realized, not all together happy at those thoughts. She was his tutor, and his thoughts seemed vaguely inappropriate given their academic relationship and her ties to Lucas and Karen.

"I'm glad you finally made," he warmly said, ignoring his preoccupied half brother. "I was afraid that he'd opt out of the party after the fight." Lucas finally jerked back to reality, realizing that not only was the spoiled brat standing next to him, but that he was already talking trash.

"Well, we didn't come for your company, that's for sure," Lucas shot back, his focus on Peyton momentarily forgotten. Haley raised her eyebrows at his hostile tone. She could understand why Lucas and Nathan didn't get along, but she didn't have to condone their pointless fighting.

Nathan smiled at his "older" brother with a satisfied grin. "Oh I think it's obvious what you came here for. Whether you get it or not remains to be seen." The double entendre of his words was not lost on Lucas. It wasn't just a reference to Peyton and Brooke, but to Dan, as well.

He'd watched the couple enter the house, and noted the amazed expression on their faces as they took in the opulent house. Nathan had taken a sick sort of satisfaction in seeing the blatant look of jealous on the other boy's face. He'd taken special care in putting out every picture of him and Dan that he could find, wanting Lucas to see what he'd missed out on. He frowned momentarily, not sure if he and Dan had anything outside of sports. Lucas might not have had a father but Nathan didn't have a mother. That was a type of leveling experience he should have related to. But he'd consoled himself with the idea that if he was no longer Dan Scott's oldest son and heir apparent, then he at least was the chosen son. His dad had picked him over the golden boy, and Nathan didn't want Lucas to forget that.

Luke's shoulders hunched up in a manner that Haley knew signaled anger. Desperately, she pointed over to Peyton and said, "I think she waved you over, Luke." He smiled at her, seeing through her obvious attempts to separate the boys.

Nathan's heart lurched at the closeness between the two. He'd never shared that kind of shared meaning with anyone he'd ever dated. Maybe with Brooke, but she was different.

Before he could stop himself, Nathan directed a cold comment toward Luke. " I would say make yourself at home, but it's not your home and it never will be."

Wincing at Nate's words, Lucas forced himself to walk away. He'd never let Nathan or Dan know just how much that little fact hurt him. Haley watched him walk away, before spinning around and confronting Nathan. "Was that necessary? I mean, do you lie awake at night plotting nasty things to say to him?"

A wounded expression appeared on Nathan's face, disappointed that she viewed him in such a negative light. "Come on, Haley. It's not like he didn't start it," Nathan whined, suddenly looking much younger than he usually did.

She heavily exhaled, wondering why she'd even bothered. "You two are incorrigible," she reluctantly commented. She didn't give up easily, but there was no hope in trying to forge peace between the two brothers.

He smiled at her words. "I'd probably be insulted if I knew what that word meant, but since you applied it to both of us, I won't get mad." Haley laughed, glad that someone was trying to lighten the mood. She was impressed by his rare displays of humor, liking the shades it added to his personality. They turned to watch Lucas and Peyton in the corner for a minute, before Haley shook her head. "I knew I'd be dumped for one of the girls, I just didn't expect it to be so soon."

Leaning in toward her ear, Nathan spoke gently, but firmly. "I'd never leave a nice girl alone at a wild party like this." Not sure how to respond to that, she silently took in the revelers. Most of the teens were playing drinking games or dancing, but she noticed several couples slipping upstairs or into other remote corners of the house.

Nathan grabbed her small hand, tugging her toward the kitchen. "You can stay with me until Lucas is finished with Peyton. I'll fight off the drunks for you." His voice was filled with the cockiness of a guy who knew just how attractive he was.

"I'm not sure, Nate. Luke should be…" her voice trailed off as she watched Lucas lean in closer to Peyton's face. "On the other hand, what the hell." Tonight was turning out to be one huge disaster after another. Once Peyton finished toying with Luke's affection, she'd end up being the shoulder he cried on.

Nathan pulled her small frame closer to his, as he propelled them through the throng of people. Haley wasn't used to parties like this. Most of the ones she attended had parents at every doorway making sure that no fun was had. Nathan's party was something out of a Hollywood Frat movie. She shivered, not knowing if it was from the cool air wafting in from the open veranda doors, or the proximity of his body so close to hers.

They walked into the spacious kitchen, taking advantage of the distance from the living room's speakers. The music was reduced to a dull throb, making conversation easier. "Okay, first up, we'll get you something to drink. Then, we'll dance so that my earlier promise to you is fulfilled."

She leaned against the marble counter, analyzing him for any sign of deceit. "What makes you think I want either a drink or a dance?" she questioned, with just enough teasing in her voice to make him smile.

"All the girls want to dance with me, Haley." His tone managed to be both honest and proud. Haley was well aware that most girls at school would kill to have Nathan's undivided attention. She just wasn't sure what was motivating his interest in her. She knew she wasn't ugly, but she also knew that she wasn't really his type.

"Okay, I give. I'll take a coke, please." He looked at her in concern, not sure that anyone ever came to his parties with soda. "Like a rum and coke?" he asked, looking around at the various bottles that littered the counter tops. She leaned in toward him and spoke slowly. "No booze, Nate. Just a plain coke." She took an evil delight in watching his ego deflate somewhat, letting him know she didn't plan on getting drunk under any circumstances.

Ten minutes later, he shrugged his shoulders at her in concession. "Okay, I don't have anything vaguely nonalcoholic in the house. Your choices for the evening are a peach wine cooler with very low alcoholic content," he said, presenting the cold bottle like it was a fine wine. Nathan dramatically continued, "Or a glass of tap water."

Frowning, Haley's eyes moved back and forth between the offending bland water and the wine cooler. "I don't suppose you'd run to the store and get me a coke?" she hopefully asked, as a couple knocked over some bar stools next to them. Nathan the host shoved the couple out of the kitchen, before turning back to her. "Uh, with this crowd? I think it's best if I stay here." He was having a surprisingly nice time with her. What had started as an attempt to buy Brooke some time alone with Lucas was rapidly turning into a good time for him.

Rolling her eyes, Haley pointed to the bottle. "Fine. I'm desperate enough to drink the wine cooler. Anything is better than warm water," she said, as he handed her the now opened bottle. Nathan smiled, still uncertain why he cared if his tutor was comfortable or not. He could have been upstairs having a good time with one of the freshmen cheerleaders instead of standing on his head to find an acceptable drink for this girl.

There was a peculiar challenge about her, though. Haley wasn't impressed with his basketball skills, and she never brought up the sport when they were together. He couldn't go to school or the drug store and avoid people gushing over his latest game. Nathan kind of liked how Haley found so many things to talk about other than his sport. She didn't fall at his feet like most of the girls at school and for that reason Nathan was intrigued. He poured himself another shot of vodka as he listened to her talk about her family.

* * *

"What's up? I've not seen much of you lately," Luke shouted to Peyton, trying to be heard over the speaker she was using as a chair. Peyton looked up at him and smiled in that coy fashion she was famous for. She was perched on the edge of the large Bose floor speaker, taking advantage of the object in a room where sitting space was limited. Lucas watched as she smoothed her short red skirt, noting how nice her legs looked.

"Not too much is going on. Cheering and art is keeping me pretty busy," she replied, standing up so she was chest to chest with him. She downed the rest of her cup of beer, before putting a hand on his chest to steady herself. "Whoa…" he said, as he wrapped an arm around her for support. "How much have you had to drink?" he asked, concerned that someone might take advantage of her.

Peyton thought for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. "Not too much. I'm not drunk," she insisted, putting a foot out in the air, to show her remarkable balance. Smiling at her antics, Luke pulled her closer to him, so that they were slowly swaying to the music. It wasn't dancing, because he didn't dance. But it was a way to talk privately, he reasoned. "I want you to go out with me tomorrow night," he suddenly stated, watching as her eyes lowered and then darted around the room, as if looking for an escape.

She finally met his eyes as a sensuous smile crossed her jaded face. "I need to stay home and clean the house. My dad's coming back Sunday night and I don't want him to get mad about the party I had last week," she explained, before realizing that she hadn't invited him to that little soiree with some of her squad and a few football players.

Luke's heart clenched, hearing her finally admit that she wasn't sitting at home alone. It was one thing to not invite him to a party, but it was another thing to make excuses when she didn't want to go out with him. He pushed her away, wondering why he bothered playing all these mind games. She'd chase him around school one week, and then avoid him the next. The hot/cold game was getting very old. "Are you ever going to have time for me or are you just messing with me?" he asked, tired of all the lies and secrets that seemed to surround him. First his mother and Dan, and now Peyton. He wasn't particular well vested in conversing with girls, and he didn't expect to talk to them as easily as he did with Haley, but Peyton was down right cryptic most of the time.

Peyton pulled him back to her, pressing her chest against his. "I've told you that I didn't break up with Nathan in order to get into a relationship with you, Luke," she explained, trying to clarify for the millionth time that she needed some space.

Across the room, Brooke watched as Lucas chased Peyton around like a puppy dog. How a guy that hot would reduce himself to begging for some of her best friend's attention amazed her. Besides, Brooke knew Peyton better than she knew herself. The girl was terrified of love and relationships. Lucas' devotion did more to frighten Peyton than it served to attract her to him. She continued watching, as Peyton ran her fingers up Luke's chest, before she abruptly stood up and headed for the door. Brooke wasn't sure what disgusted her more; Luke's chasing Peyton or Peyton playing him like a violin.

Then again, Brooke was generally annoyed at Peyton for her earlier comments that night. When Brooke had tried to talk to Peyton about the incident with Trey, Peyton had accused her of thinking everyone wanted to sex her up. Brooke wasn't sure what to think anymore. She didn't have a good indicator of if she was overreacting or if she was stuck in a seriously sick household. Shaking her head, Brooke forced herself to stop reliving that incident. She took one last look at the happy couple, before grabbing her bottle of Tequila and quietly exiting the house.

Luke rubbed his temple, trying to figure out what Peyton was telling him. She pulled him closer and nuzzled his neck, prompting him to speak. "Are you saying that you don't want to date me now, or that you just don't want to date me?"

She teasingly nipped at his neck before pulling away and looking him in the eyes. "Why does everything have to be so formal with you, Luke? Why can't we just have some fun without titles like 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend'?" she asked, running her hands down his muscular back. "I mean, if you'd just consider being friends with benefits, we'd both have a lot of fun." She liked the guy, but his intensity tended to freak her out.

Lucas pulled away, hearing those words. Something inside of him grew cold, understanding what she wanted. "So I'm good enough to fuck but not good enough to date?" he questioned, his anger quickly losing out to his hurt feelings. He knew he didn't have money or a sports car, but the idea that she just didn't want to be seen with him in public was painful. If he wanted rejection, Luke could get plenty of that from the owner of the beach house. He didn't need any more crap from the girls he dated. He pushed her away from him, giving her one last angry look before storming out the veranda doors.

* * *

The cool fall air whipped at his face as Lucas restlessly paced around the beach house's porch. There were too many people socializing, so he headed for the house's pier, seeking the isolated dock at the end of the long walkway. The stars and moon were bright, naturally illuminating the creaky boards that formed the walkway. The sound of the waves was soothing, helping to lessen the impact of Peyton's harsh words. He knew that she wasn't being cruel, but he also knew that he couldn't play her games anymore. He needed someone who was consistent in her affection, not pulling it in and out of his reach on a whim. Conditional love was not something that Lucas needed more of in his life.

He paused, looking back over his shoulder at the beach house, knowing that it was a mistake to come here. He didn't belong here, just like he didn't belong on the team. He slowed his pace to unhurried walk, happy to be away from the house and it's reminders of all the rejection: Dan, Peyton, everyone. He didn't need their acceptance as long as he had his mom, Keith and Haley. Fighting back tears, he realized that he was lying to himself. As much as he hated Dan, he still craved answers as to why his own father didn't care if he lived or died. Answers that this house couldn't provide. The familiar weight of despair washed over him again, taking refuge in not so remote corners of his soul. There were times that being labeled as brooding was a compliment. And then there were times that that quality threatened to overwhelm him like a wave crushing a surfer beneath its pressure. He'd always been introspective, but lately Lucas felt that he spent more time worrying about the past than he did living in the moment. He could spend hours lost in thought, losing track of time and meandering through school as if in a trance. There were times he felt that his life was spinning out of control, eluding all his attempts to control it.

Nearing the end of the pier, Lucas tried to clear his mind of all thoughts of his messed up family and depressing social life. He focused on the soothing sound of the ebb and flow of the waves, and the relaxing salty air. He felt a bit calmer, though the dark, secluded setting did more to entrench his ominous mood.

He saw the railing of the wharf and moved toward it, lulled by the hypnotic rhythm of the waves. Lucas stumbled on something, squinting in the dark to inspect what he'd tripped over. "Brooke?" he questioned, trying to verify it was her and not some other brunette. The clouds shifted, and a shaft of moonlight fell over her pretty face, even as she wiped away traces of tears. "Are you okay or did someone hurt you?" he asked, concerned about finding her all alone in the dark.

She remained mute, shaking her head at his question. Well, it was kind of the truth, she figured. Someone had hurt her, just not tonight. "I'm fine," she whispered, wondering why he was there. It's not like he'd gone looking for her or anything.

"Is this spot taken?" he lamely joked, waiting for her slight nod of approval before sinking down to sit beside her. She'd found a spot leaning against the back wall of the pier, with a clear view of the dark water. They sat there in silence, neither feeling compelled to speak, neither wanting to shatter the relative sanctuary that they had found.


	6. Chapter 6

There are a few bad words in this chapter. Please don't read if common curse words offend. Naley and Brucas abound.

Thanks for reading!

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 5

* * *

Karen rolled over in bed and glanced at the clock. It wasn't even midnight on a Friday night and she was already in bed. Frowning, she tried to remember when her life got so boring, so predictable. Sighing, she realized that had happened when she'd given birth instead of going to college. While Karen had never been a wild person in high school, she had gone to parties and other social events. Once Lucas entered her life everything changed. She had worked three jobs just to buy diapers and formula which left precious little time or energy for socializing. Keith had been a god send back then, helping her out with babysitting and picking bills when she had to decide between paying rent and having electricity.

But those days were behind them now, much like her relationship with Keith. While she ached for their former closeness and friendship, she realized that they were both better off. Keith seemed happy with that girl and she was...free. Free of any obligation to any man other than her son. It was as nearly liberating as it was terrifying.

As a child Karen had dreamed of having several children and the perfect American family. After Lucas had been born, she'd long for a few minutes of silence, of time for herself. Now that she'd finally gotten some maturity and a bit of financial stability, there'd be no more babies. She'd secretly hoped that some day she and Keith would have babies, but that hope had died with their relationship. And she'd been serious when she told Keith that she didn't want any more kids raised in broken homes. Karen had sadly watched those effects wreck havoc on her son's life.

She stared up at the ceiling for a moment, counting down how many hours of sleep she'd get before her alarm clock went off at 5 am. Giving up on sleep, she tossed the covers off and got up, turning on the small lamp on her bedside table. She sat on the edge of the bed fighting her instincts, before moving swiftly over to the small closet in her room. Digging into the far recesses of the narrow closet, her hands fumbled onto the box. Karen looked around surreptitiously; knowing that the only thing that could possible spy on her was on her was her own guilt and better judgment.

_I gave you a boat so you could sail around the world,__  
__Watched you disappear into the sun_

Pulling the top off the old box, she pulled out various artifacts of her former life, one where she'd been young, popular and carefree. Life before Lucas. The life that she'd whittled down to the contents of the small, battered box lying at her feet. Removing the large photo album from the top of the box, she sought out the framed pictures of her senior prom. She and Dan had so much fun that night, she recalled fondly, battling with her mind to stop this tortured walk down memory lane. They'd had such big dreams back then. Dreams of attending the same college, getting married and having a great life. Dreams that were destroyed by a night of summer passion on the beach and a pregnancy test. She'd let Dan go so that he could find himself and return to her and their child of his own free will. Sighing, she absently traced the outlines of their happy, young faces, wondering where all the time had gone.

_I thought about you out there__  
__In those vast wide open spaces_  
_I wondered if you missed me_  
_And all our favorite places_

* * *

Nathan watched from the kitchen as his half brother stormed out the doors, leaving a very confused Peyton behind. He watched as his ex-girlfriend stood there a moment, before hooking up with the football team's star receiver. Nathan almost felt sorry for Lucas. Trying to be nice to Peyton was almost always an exercise in futility. He turned back to Haley, pleased that she'd obviously missed her friend's sudden exit. Nathan had to give Brooke props. She'd managed to get Luke alone and outside in less than an hour of his arrival at the party. That would definitely perk Brooke up, if only for a few minutes. Nate sighed, wondering once again what was wrong with his best friend.

_Without a destination__  
__Drifting aimlessly to find_  
_Keeping your eyes open for a home_

They sat there in silence, both lost in the hypnotic motion and sound of the endless waves. It was a lull of nature that drowned out all the noise in their heads. Luke finally looked over at his companion, noticing the bottled that was cradled between her jeans clad thighs. "I thought you were missing the party, but you've apparently already started," he commented, pointing down toward the bottle.

Brooke reluctantly looked away from the endless, dark waves, already missing their solace. "Trust me, I'm not drunk. Unfortunately." She longed for the release that booze brought her, the sweet black hole that dimmed her pain and dulled her senses. It was the same sweet relief that drunken sex gave her, warming her body and her cold, numb heart. It was funny that booze got her to two such contradictory places: drunken unawareness, where her mind could stop replaying that night and sexual contact, which attempted to make her feel again.

Remembering that she wasn't alone, Brooke looked over at Lucas and held out the ½ empty tequila bottle. Silently Lucas reached out and accepted the bottle. He calmly swirled it around, watching as the liquid crash around, mimicking the waves they sat in front of. He hesitated a moment before bringing the bottle to his lips and knocking back a giant swig. His eyes widened as the liquor burned its way down his throat, receiving some sort of sick satisfaction to the distraction the burning feeling gave him from his tumultuous thoughts. "So why are you out here all alone?" he asked, taking another swallow, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand in a single graceful motion.

"As opposed to fucking someone upstairs?" she prompted, affirming the conventional wisdom that everyone thought she was a slut. After all, he'd told her she was that kind of girl. She closed her eyes, knowing that even her mother's husband thought she was a whore. Why not live down to everyone's expectations?

They sat back together in silence, Luke not having an immediate response to her self-depreciating words. He'd heard rumors around school about Brooke, of course. But then he'd heard enough rumors about himself to know better than believe anything he heard about her. She was beautiful and she dated a lot of guys, but there was something in her eyes that drew him to her. Something dark and irrational that cried wounded more than sensual vixen.

Brooke reached over and slowly slid her hand across his thigh, startling him out of his reverie. She leaned over closer to him and then smirked, as she gracefully jerked the bottle out between his legs. "Mine," she defended, but in a joking tone. No need to run a guy as hot as Broody off with her greediness.

Lucas watched as she tilted her head back, poured the tequila into her mouth, downing several shots worth in three continuous gulps. She brought her head back up and licked her lips, staring him in the eye the entire time. Why not act the part of the sleazy boozehound, she thought, feeling her shoulders begin to relax after nearly ½ a bottle.

He smiled at her boldness, taking the bottle back and matching her gulp for gulp. The burning feeling had now spread to his stomach, making him feel simultaneously brave and numb. He'd successfully stopped thinking about Peyton, Dan and Nathan for over 15 minutes, which might just be a record in the Lucas Scott Broodathon. "What's the point of going to a party, if not to hook up?" he asked, still smarting from Peyton's rejection, but gradually getting caught up in his current companion. Brooke didn't play games; she didn't hide her ambitions or intent behind huge beach houses or coy promises.

Luke wasn't a prude about sex. He wasn't saving himself for marriage or anything. But he'd seen what sex had gotten his mother and he'd been raised better than to mindlessly sleep around. Despite the tragic end of his parents' relationship, Luke wanted a good relationship. He wanted happily ever after and a strong stable family. It was hard for him to think about relationships in a positive light. His earliest memories were dominated by the lack of a relationship between his own parents. It had the most impact on his development and the guiding example of what not to strive for in a romantic relationship. Luke wanted something more than sex. At the very least, he wanted friendship.

* * *

Dan sat in the attic of his house, pushing boxes around the small room, boxes that contained memories and aspects of his life that he'd relegated to this tiny, dark corner of his home.

_You stumbled on your port of call__  
__And set your anchors deep_  
_And learned another language_  
_One that I could never speak_

Picking up a picture frame, Dan absently wiped away some dust, reveling a much younger version of him and Karen, being crowned Winter Snowball King and Queen. Closing his eyes, he could remember that night in such glorious detail. He'd worn a black tux and Karen had worn some kind of floral perfume that had driven him crazy all night. He'd practically begged her to leave the dance early and go some place private, some place they could be alone together. No matter how stressful a basketball season had been, or how much pressure Whitey or his Dad put on him, Karen had always been an oasis of calm and tranquility in his life.

_Oh and I, I can see you smiling__  
__On every water-packed horizon_  
_If you're lost_  
_I'll be your island_

Dan sighed, setting down the now faded picture and forcing the colorful memories from his mind. Love of any kind, other than for his son, was in his past. He'd failed every woman he'd ever loved miserably. And despite his sincere promises after the game to Karen, he doubted that he'd have much more success with his oldest son.

_Before you left we talked about__  
__If you'd be coming back_  
_And I don't know was all that you could say._  
_I remember walking_  
_To the docks to say good-bye_  
_I promised that I wouldn't_  
_But I could help but cry_

Lucas was such a painful subject for Dan. He'd screwed up, that much he could admit. He'd walked out on Karen when he should have stayed and supported her. He'd promised to return after the semester was over and had every intension of doing so until Deb had told him she was pregnant. And the only defense he had for not being in the boy's life was something that he couldn't share with Lucas. The answers the boy needed to hear from Dan would serve to destroy the few relationships Lucas appeared to have left.

_Set out to find you once__  
__Naïve I never dreamed_  
_Maybe you'd prefer to be alone_

Sighing, Dan rubbed his temple out of frustration and regret. They had all created a tangled web of lies and deceit that was nearly impossible to unravel now. Dropping the picture frame, he fumbled around for the smaller envelop of pictures he knew lay near the bottom of the box. Sliding the flap on the torn and fade envelop, Dan's shoulders slumped as he thumbed through the worn contents. He stared at Luke's birth announcement, the newsprint yellowed with age. The announcement was shoved in among various other pictures that Dan's mother had sent him over the years. He shuffled the images of his oldest son, watching him grow through various stages of life. Spreading the photos out on the floor, Dan frowned as he noticed that the boy's gregarious toddler smiles had faded by the time his first school picture was taken. He could only imagine what role he'd played in the disappearance of Luke's smiles.

Leaning back against one of the rafters, Dan shoved the pictures out of his line of sight. He'd made an agreement with Karen to stop the fighting between their boys, and he'd honor it. He could try to reach out to the distant and hostile youth, but the rest was up to Lucas.

_No sooner did I find you___

___Than I gave you to the sea_

_I wish I'd been the sailor_

___That you wanted me to be_

* * *

Brooke glanced over at her drinking partner, exchanging the stars in the sky for the deep blue of his eyes. She smiled at the glassy look in his eyes, seeing that he was definitely not fighting the effects of the tequila. Brooke laughed at how serious Lucas engaged in everything he did, including getting drunk. He always seemed to be thinking deep thoughts as opposed to most of her crowd that just avoided thinking in general. Shaking her head, Brooke could understand that reasoning. Her thoughts never seemed to lead her any place that was good.

Her fingers curled around the bottle and she took another swig, pondering his random hook up question from earlier. "You're too pure for a casual hook up," she decided, watching as something akin to annoyance crossed his face.

Lucas sighed in exasperation. "God, not the St. Lucas crap," he moaned, sick of his choirboy image. "You know, I get hormonal just like everyone else." The indignation in his voice made her giggle, knowing that most of the girls at school would love to test that theory.

Brooke leaned over toward him, a sexy smirk on her pretty face. She grazed his thigh with her well manicured hand for a moment, before settling her hand on his jean clad leg. Her smile grew as she felt his muscles tighten under her hand.

Luke's heart jumped as Brooke's hand crept closer to his zipper, her hand inching along the seam of his jeans. Her touch was deft enough for him to feel, but soft enough to leave his mouth dry with desire.

A sensuous laugh emanated from her, breaking the moment, as Brooke leaned toward him, speaking with a glint of humor in her voice. "Well, that's definitely not a saintly reaction," she noted, smiling as his own face lightened considerably. "I'll do you a favor and tell the gossip circle that you're tasty. That'll kill any recommendations pending for sainthood."

They both laughed at her words, each forgetting some of their earlier concerns. She watched as the waves crashed into the beach, only the white foam of their crest discernable in the moonlight. Their companionable silence endured through an endless series of waves.

"I like this place," Brooke confided, her soft words nearly shattering the stillness. His quiet attentiveness prompted her unusual self-confession. "I love the smell of the salty air, and the feeling that we're in the ocean, when it's really just the dock at the end of the long pier."

Luke closed his eyes, trying to see the world through Brooke's words, just as he did with his favorite authors. He nodded at her assessment. "It's like being alone in that vast nothingness, yet still safe."

She smiled at his words, her heart warming for the first time in months. It was nice relating to someone, even if it was temporary. Even if he was only talking to her because Peyton had probably blown him off. She took another drink, noting that they were well on their way to killing the fifth of tequila.

Sighing, Luke leaned back against a support pole, letting the rush of booze course through his veins. "It amazes me that I can like this dock, yet hate its owner so much," he confessed, nearly sick at the thought that he'd found such a calming place in such a disconcerting location. He was completely disoriented by seeing Dan and Karen together earlier that night. It was some kind of omen, or sign that the apocalypse was upon them.

Brooke nodded, sharing his opinion of Dan. "You know, just when I think my life is fucked up and couldn't get any worse, I just have to look at you and Nathan."

She'd watched over the years as Dan hounded Nate about basketball. The pressure tended to build as the season went on, as did Dan's expectations. Lucas' presence on the team now seemed to jack Dan's pressure up on Nate even more.

Luke shrugged his shoulders and killed the bottle, dropping it carelessly on the dock. "It's a screwed up situation. I mean, I just live across town and have barely said five words to the man," Luke admitted, feeling relieved that he could say what he thought about his father, without the fear of upsetting his mom or Keith.

Brooke shivered slightly, the cool air chilling her bare arms. "Ever since Nate's mom died, Dan's been so focused on Nathan and the team. It's a lot of pressure," she explained, wanting Lucas to understand some of Nate's problems. They'd both been hurt by their father's actions, and she just wanted them both to try to see the other's pain.

"Well, it's been hard for my mom, too. And you can bet she's not kicking back on the weekends at a palatial beach house," he tersely stated, even as his eyes assessed the huge diamonds that adorned her neck and ears.

Her hands followed his eyes and she absently played with the floating solitaire her daddy had given her right after the divorce. "Just because we have money doesn't mean our lives are easy," she contended, seeing how judgmental his assessing eyes were.

Drawing her knees up to her chest, Brooke turned her head to face the water. She spoke, with a voice that was barely audible over the crashing waves. "You know, I've seen you and your mom around town. Don't think for a second that I wouldn't change your mom for mine in a second or that Nate wouldn't give up everything that they own in exchange for his mom being alive."

Lucas nodded, realizing that she was serious. Something in Brooke's life pushed her to drink and carry on. He'd been harsh to assume her life was better because of the diamonds she owned.

He reached out and put a tentative hand on her back, watching as she continued staring out at the sea, with her head on her knees. He ignored the urge he felt to run his hand down her back, toward the exposed flesh of her small waist, knowing he wasn't drunk enough to try that.

"I didn't mean to be a jerk, Brooke. It's just hard for me to watch my mom work so hard while he does nothing to help. It's not like he'd even miss the money," Luke bitterly suggested. His voice grew soft. "And it hurts to watch him with Nathan and know he doesn't give a damn about me."

She reached out to him, hearing the raw pain in his voice. "Maybe it's just hard for him, because of the way he ended things with your mom?" she suggested.

Luke tried to shake off his confusion about Dan. "Doesn't matter now," he muttered. "It's already done with. I mean, the past is the past and he obviously doesn't give a damn about me."

Brooke shivered again, her small shirt failing to keep her warm. Luke wrapped an arm around her and gently rubbed the goose pimples on her arms. "I could go in and find a blanket for you," he suggested, motioning to the brightly lit beach house. The warm scent of her perfume rose up and filled his senses, enticing him to get closer to her skin.

Brooke smiled at his concern for her, knowing that most other guys would have used the empty bottle and her shivers as an excuse to crawl on top of her. There was a basic human kindness in Lucas that was missing from most of the guys she'd known.

"Yeah, find us a blanket. If you go into Dan's study and look in the bottom of his main closet, you'll find a case of the good stuff. Grab us a bottle of it when you get the blanket," she instructed, suddenly not feeling as cold or lonely as she felt earlier that night. The night's events didn't seem so bad and her pain didn't feel so sharp. She looked up at Luke, who seemed to be hesitating at her instructions. She gave him a slow, sexy smile and he scampered off in the general direction of the house, where the party raged on.

She watched for a moment as Luke's lithe frame headed back toward the house, recalling her earlier words to Nathan. Booze and boys always helped her. Temporarily.

* * *

Haley looked up from her perch on the counter, hearing Nathan sigh. "What's up?" Surely she was not so boring that he was reduced to sighs after only an hour with her.

"Its just Brooke. I'm really worried about her. She was a total basket case when she got here," he admitted, smiling shyly at her. It was so easy to talk to Haley that he found himself confiding things that he'd never tell anyone but Brooke. She had a gentle kindness to her that most people were totally lacking these days. And a genuine interest about people that made them open up to her.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it," she flippantly suggested. "It's probably some guy she's fighting with." She'd been around Brooke enough to realize that losing her lip-gloss was akin to a national emergency.

Nathan's eyes narrowed as she dismissed his concerns. "You know, Brooke is a person too. She's not just some plastic stereotype party girl. And she's not got an easy life," Nathan informed her.

Haley immediately felt bad for her evil thoughts about the pretty brunette. She didn't have much use for girls like Peyton and Brooke, but at the same time, she really hadn't given either of them a chance. "That was thoughtless of me, Nate. I'm sorry about being so dismissive of her problems," Haley apologized, reaching out to touch his hand. It was a simple gesture, but one that sent warmth surging through her veins.

"It's just that Brooke doesn't have a lot of people who care about her in her life, so I have to worry more about her to make up for it," he confessed, knowing that everyone at school thought their friendship involved sex. He didn't want Haley to think they had anything going on besides friendship.

She smiled at his nurturing attitude toward Brooke. "I am glad that you're there for her. You seem like a really loyal friend. I bet you get that from your mom," she added, knowing that Nate sure as hell didn't get it from Dan. The man had never had a considerate thought in his life.

Nathan's eyes grew sad at the mention of his mother. It almost annoyed him that Deb was constantly on his mind lately. He looked up at Haley, taking in her empathetic gaze. "Can I show you something?" he earnestly asked, quickly standing up and grabbing her hand.

Haley was a bit unnerved by his sudden mood swing, but she felt she knew him well enough to trust him. "I guess. What do you want to show me?" He walked her through a group of football players massed in the hallway, and began walking up the grand staircase. "It's upstairs in my room," he said, tugging her towards the second floor of the house. She hesitated, knowing that she'd been nursing a single wine cooler the past hour and that she wasn't drunk. And she knew that Nate wasn't drunk. She paused, not sure if going up to a guy's bedroom during a wild party was a good decision to make under any circumstances. He sensed her hesitation and turned to face with a happy, expectant look on his face. "Come on."

Haley hesitated, still pondering the wisdom in following him upstairs, when a figure caught her attention. A somewhat distracted Lucas walked past them carrying a fleece blanket and a bottle, heading towards the large glass deck doors. Haley called out, "Lucas, where are you going?" He clumsily turned back around, looking somewhat confused as his eyes came to rest on Nathan and Haley. He wasn't drunk but he was certainly inebriated, and Lucas liked the feeling of complete carelessness that had taken his mind hostage. He quietly looked at his best friend, who was apparently on her way upstairs with his worst enemy. "I'd ask what's up with you two, but I think that answer is pretty clear," Lucas slurred, his manner not quiet surly but definitely not friendly.

Nathan rolled his eyes at the sight of his venerable older brother, who was apparently getting lucky tonight. "You're one to talk. At least I don't have a blanket and a bottle of 21 year old scotch in my hand," Nathan retorted, angry that Lucas had turned his attempt to talk to Haley into something tawdry. "Do you have any idea how expensive that bottle is? There's a reason it was hidden in the bottom of the closet," Nathan admonished, upset that Lucas had rooted through their things for booze. Not to mention the fact that his father would kill him if he noticed it was missing.

Laughing, Lucas gazed at the bottle appreciatively. "Well, I guess that's one week of child support he doesn't owe me." The party raged on around them, as Haley and Lucas locked eyes, neither wanting to be the first one to look away. Lucas lost his balance for a moment, closing his eyes for a second to regain his focus. "Haley, I don't know what he's been giving you to drink but do you really think going upstairs is a good idea?"

Her eyes widened in surprise at both his lack of coordination and his gentle rebuke. "I think Nathan said it best, Luke. You apparently have been doing enough drinking for both of us. And I am sure you've got plans for that bottle and the blanket," she accused, wondering what had gotten into him lately. Luke wasn't into casual sex or drinking. He'd written off most of Nathan's crowd as drunken losers years ago, but here he was totally acting like part of the crowd. She stared at him in open disappointment, wondering what was going that was driving him to such anger and irrational behavior.

Nathan reached for her hand once more time. "I just want to share something with you, Haley. You can trust me," he sincerely stated. He smiled as he felt her small hand slide into his. She turned back around toward Lucas, but he'd already stormed off, apparently after more licentious pursuits.

She remained on the step, silently watching Lucas move through the crowd and out the doors. A touch on her shoulder gained her attention and she looked up to see Nathan towering above her, a look of concern on his face. "Do you want me to go after him?" he hesitantly offered. If the guy wanted to dis his best friend and make an idiot out of himself that was one thing, but Nate didn't want Haley tearing off into the night chasing him on her own. He also didn't want to think about the blanket, the bottle and most likely, Brooke. Nate shook those thoughts off and sighed. He couldn't baby sit his best friend anymore than he could force Haley to go upstairs with him.

She forced her concerns about Lucas out of her mind and smiled up at Nathan. "What did you want to show me?" she said, as she followed him up the staircase.

_Oh and I, yeah I can see you smiling__  
__On every water-packed horizon_  
_If you're lost_  
_I'll be your island_  
_I gave you a boat so you could sail around the world_

* * *

The song is "island" by someone named Kristen Hall.

Thanks for all the great replies. It made me want to post this chapter much faster. I'd like to post two chapters a week, if there is enough interest. The chapters tend to be long and that can be annoying to some people.


	7. Chapter 7

* * *

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 6

* * *

Dan leaned back against a support beam in his attic, closing his eyes to avoid the pictures of his oldest son's life, haplessly splayed out in front of him. A strange feeling was creeping over Dan, one that left him simultaneously chilled and anxious. He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair, cursing the idea of ever visiting this dark place, this black hole of emotional turmoil that was his past. He been weak tonight, when he should have just ignored Karen and walked away with what was left of his soul. She was the only person capable of striping away all of Dan's defenses and exposing the insecure kid he'd been in another lifetime.

He remained there for ten minutes, his nervousness fighting his dark mood. Finally, Dan pushed himself up and quickly exited the attic. As he determinedly stalked through the house, he grabbed his keys off the entryway table and slammed the door behind him. Action was always better than contemplation, he reasoned, backing his car out of the driveway. He turned toward the other side of town, convinced that 1AM wasn't overly late for a surprise visitor.

* * *

Brooke stood along the railing of the dock, staring off the pier into the dark, endless waves that crashed to shore beneath her. She felt much like the foamy white caps of the waves, momentary bits of fluff that rode the destructive waves until consumed by the vehicle that moved them along to their ultimate demise. She felt like that whitecap, perched precariously on top of the turmoil that was her life. And while she was momentarily on top, she wasn't stupid enough to think that it wouldn't change in a minute, that she would always be able to battle her way to the top. Eventually, Brooke would grow tired from the endless struggle and she'd succumb to her fate, drowning beneath the powerful waves just like the frothy white caps.

And she was tired. Brooke never slept much anymore, paranoid about who might come crashing through her bedroom door at any moment. That combined with the façade she had to maintain around even her inner circle killed what was left of her energy.

A tear trickled down her cheek before she could stop it. She was losing control of her life, it was spinning out of control and she couldn't do a damn thing to stop it.

Stumbling down the planked walkway, Lucas shook the noise emanating from the beach house out of his ears, as he also tried to forget his confrontation with Haley. She was in over her head, he reasoned, knowing that she was caught up in Nathan's web. He'd trapped her as efficiently as a spider and Nate was more than likely moving in for the kill at that very moment. Lucas knew it was a mistake to let Haley tutor Nathan in the first place. He should have put his foot down and demanded that she stop when he first found out. He'd given into her argument that she was strong enough to resist any plans or plots that Nathan had regarding using her to get to Lucas. He knew Haley only tended to see the best in people, but she was clearly out of her league in this matter. And what scared him was that she had no clue how vulnerable she was.

Lucas shut off those thoughts, not wanting to image his Haley in Nathan's arms. He stumbled, his foot hitting an uneven plank and he fought to maintain control of his blanket and bottle of scotch. He wasn't exactly drunk but he was buzzing hard and only his natural athletic ability preventing him from falling face first into the wood boards beneath him.

Regaining his balance, Lucas looked down at the bottle of scotch and unconscious thoughts about his father surfaced, darkening his already sullen mood. Maybe Dan and Nathan had some sort of ability to render the females in his life weak and compliant, he thought. He'd never thought that Haley would betray him like this with his mortal enemy, but the idea of his mom talking and laughing with Dan Scott was more than he could take. She was his rock, the foundation of his world and now, even that seemed weak and shifting.

He forced himself to stop thinking about them: Dan, Karen, Peyton, Haley, Nathan…even his uncle Keith who was probably spending the night with his new girlfriend. Lucas just wanted to stop his mind from analyzing all the people around him and the implications their actions might have on his life. He cradled the bottle with great care, knowing that at least for the rest of tonight his brain would be too incapacitated to think him into depression. He looked up and saw Brooke ten feet in front of him, her slim figure enhanced by the light of the full moon. 'She's beautiful,' he thought, wondering how he'd missed that in all the time he'd spent chasing Peyton.

Lucas silently approached her, his arms laden with booze and blankets per her instructions. He could tell something was wrong, the petite girl's frame was shaking and her shoulders were hunched up with tension. "Brooke?" he questioned, forcing the volume of his voice up a few notches, so that it could carry above the sounds of the waves crashing around them. He watched as she surreptitiously wiped a tear from her check and turned to face him.

"Oh… you got the good stuff," she exclaimed, shrugging off her earlier darker mood. Pasting a smile on her face, she greedily took the bottle from Lucas' strong, warm hand, anxious to get back to the business of getting drunk. If she was drunk, she couldn't think and if she couldn't think, she'd find refuge from the darker thoughts that threatened to overwhelm her. She gave Lucas a sweet, knowing smile as she pulled the cap off the bottle and took a few chugs of the sour smelling liquor. Tonight she'd not succumb to the waves but rather she'd ride them out, floating along like the white caps around her. And this boy would be her life raft.

"Are you okay?" he gently asked, tracing the tear streaks down her beautiful face with a gentle hand. He'd always known she was an attractive girl, he'd have to be blind not to. But lately, he'd sensed something more from her, a kindred spirit who tended to view life in sarcastic shades of grey and black. He noted it in their English class that year, hearing her take on various great works of literature and the dark spin she put on the motivations of the characters. She was very much a realist who saw the world as it was and not as it should be. They were both wise enough to know that the 'shoulds' and 'oughts' of the world were a waste of time. He should have had father. Dan ought to have cared about his oldest son. Lucas shook his head again, realizing that it was all a waste of time. He looked back down at his companion who was guzzling down the bottle of scotch.

"Brooke," he jokingly admonished, getting her to turn around and face him. "You could leave some for me." Her face curved into a smile, bringing her dimples out in full force. "I'll share with you, Broody," she slurred, in a sensuous voice that drew him even closer to her. The winds were beginning to pick up around them, but neither one noticed as their bodies grew closer. Lucas smiled down at her, as he ran his hand over her shoulder and down her arm, warming her skin nearly as much as the booze. His hand reached hers and he gave it a small squeeze, before liberating the bottle from her grasp. She smiled at him, watching as he tilted his head back, gulping several shoots worth of scotch in a smooth graceful movement.

She giggled at him, feeling the remainder of the tension sliding from her body. They turned and stared at the waves in silence, taking turns with the bottle and ignoring the turmoil of the waves in front of them.

Finally, the bottle drained and the world spinning, they clumsily retreated to the back of the dock, leaning against the rail in order to stay upright. Brooke shook violently, chills coursing through her thin black shirt. "Let me grab the blanket," Lucas offered, crawling to where he'd dropped the blanket earlier. He retrieved the soft woolen blanket and crawled back to where Brooke sat. He awkwardly fell back next to her, completely incapable of maintaining any semblance of balance in his drunken state. Lucas unfolded the blanket and wrapped it around their shoulders, pulling Brooke even closer to him.

"You never told me if you were okay," he reminded her, not forgetting the earlier tears he'd seen on her beautiful cheeks. Brooke shrugged her shoulders and leaned closer into his chest, cherishing the warmth and security she found there. Outside of Nathan, she rarely felt safe with anyone and yet here she was on a dock in the middle of a party with the safest guy she'd ever met.

She considered his question and then shrugged her slight shoulders. "It was just a momentary lapse of reason. I'm fine, Luke. I've had some rough nights lately, but I came here to party," she joked, gaining a smile from his dazed but still concerned face.

Lucas took in her words as he looked around them. "Kind of a lonely party," he noted, the roar of the party off in the distance behind them.

Brooke looked into his deep blue eyes, realizing that she could drown just as easily in those eyes as she could the waves below them. She tilted her head away from those intense blue eyes for a second and stared at the waves before she turned back to him and smiled. "In the end we are all basically alone, Lucas".

He stared at her for a moment, confused by the dark tone of her words, but not by the words themselves. He understood what she was saying all too well, as he knew that life was basically a game of one on one and you couldn't always depend on a team to help out or stand beside you. He'd felt alone and isolated most of his life, but he'd never thought that someone as out going as Brooke might feel the same way.

Lucas looked down at her as another shiver tore through her body. Lucas pulled her even closer, settling her firm body against his, as he wrapped the blanket around them. He smiled down at her, seeing a slight smile and a look of relief cover her face. "Well, you don't have to be alone tonight," he assured her, before laying a gentle kiss on the end of her nose. His face lingered in front of hers for a moment, as he fought the urge to seek out her soft lips and take refuge in her firm body. He eventually pulled back; secure with the knowledge that he'd find a moment to kiss her and it wouldn't be the result of a sad night and an empty bottle.

Brooke smiled at him; content to soak up the air of security she felt anytime he was around. For one night, at least, she'd go to sleep with something better than fear clouding her dreams.

* * *

A very short chapter at 5 pages. I might post the next chapter asap if there's interest. I don't want to over post chapters, but I'd like to get past this one night so the story can move forward. Thanks for reading. Replies are always welcomed and appreciated.

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

A very long Naley chapter. They don't tend to get much time in this story, but I really like them in this story. I never get many Naley readers and it's hard to know if I should write more for them.

Thanks for the great replies. I've decided to post this chapter sooner than later to say thanks for the replies. It's a great motivator to post. I love knowing what you think about the chapters and any feedback given is appreciated. More chapters are ready to post!

* * *

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 7

* * *

Haley ignored the stares of the couples that filled the hallway as Nathan pulled her through the crowd, his strong hand completely engulfing her smaller one. She was growing a bit apprehensive, as Lucas' warnings about Nathan resurfaced in her mind. She frowned at those words, knowing that she wasn't drunk and Nathan wasn't drunk, so there was nothing wrong with going upstairs with the guy.

Lucas was another story, though. Haley knew he'd been deeply affected by Karen's break up with Keith, but she'd not known the depth of his pain until he'd finally confided in her about his feelings concerning Keith's new girlfriend. Lucas didn't want Keith dating anyone new, just like he didn't want his mother going out with someone else. Haley had always had a stable family life, so it was hard for her to imagine not having a mother and father at the dinner table every night, or having to deal with new parental dating partners. Lucas' life had always been underscored by instability, outside of Karen's constant love. First there had always been financial issues making his life hell and now what little family Luke could rely on was falling to pieces around him.

Haley sighed, not knowing what was going on in her friend's head anymore. She'd never thought she'd be forced to deal with a drunken Lucas and yet here they were. Lucas was a control freak, the one trait he definitely inherited from his father. He couldn't stand being out of control, especially around other people. Seeing her friend drunk in public was nearly as shocking as hearing him lecture her about proper party behavior. And yet it was hard for her to be too mad at Lucas, knowing how upset he was about seeing his mother talking to Dan. It was only logical that Lucas would drink to forget the events of that night. Between getting thrown out of the game for fighting with Nathan and being forced to watch his parents together, drinking was about the only thing likely to shut Luke's brain down for the night. And the boy just thought too much about everything. He'd brood and ponder every little detail about every thing in his life until he spent entire weeks without a good night's sleep.

Haley knew she needed to talk to Karen and let her know that Lucas was upset about things. She'd avoided Karen's gentle yet probing questions about how Lucas handled her break up with Keith. Haley had remained mostly quiet on the topic, knowing that Lucas didn't want to make Karen feel any guiltier than she already felt. But things just seemed to be getting out of control lately. And maybe Karen could find a way to help Lucas get through this sibling rivalry as well as help him accept Keith's new girlfriend.

Lost in thought, Haley collided with a warm, solidly muscular back. She looked up in confusion and realized that Nathan had stopped in front of a set of doors. He turned around and smiled at her, saying, "I'm beginning to wonder if a single wine cooler is too much for you." Haley smiled back, realizing that Nathan had no idea how clumsy she was without the help of alcohol. "I'm not drunk, I was just lost in thought," she explained, raising her voice to out shout the music that was filling the hallway.

Haley noted two cheerleaders down the hall pointing at her with looks akin to jealousy on their faces. She fought the urge to stick her tongue out at them, and instead let Nathan take her hand and pull her through the double doors into the relative sanctuary of his room. Nathan pulled the heavy wood doors shut and then turned the lock for added effect. Haley hesitantly smiled at him, trying to ignore the lurch in her stomach at his actions. She could only imagine how many other girls had been in this very room in the past. "Do you always barricade yourself in rooms with strange girls?" she asked, letting him know she'd seen him turn the lock on the door.

Nathan slowly approached her, not wanting to scare her off by any sudden movement. "Actually, I'm keeping them out rather than you in, so don't look so concerned," he gruffly replied, not happy that she felt threatened being alone with him in his bedroom. After all, she'd been alone in his house during tutoring sessions and here she was cringing during a party with a house full of people.

Haley raised her eyebrows at his words but forced herself to relax. Even if she wasn't used to be alone with guys or going to wild parties, she was capable of defending herself. You didn't grow up with a passel of older brothers without learning where to hit them. "I'm surprised that any of the bedrooms are empty with this gang of drunkards around," she commented, wondering if all of Nathan's parties were this intense.

Nate moved across the room to sit on his large bed, eventually leaning back against the dark wood headboard to watch her. "Most of the people know the rules: Stay out of my bedroom and stay out of my dad's room. The rest of the dark corners and other rooms are fair game," he blandly replied, not wanting to think about any of those dark corners being occupied by Brooke and his idiot half brother.

Not seeing a chair near by, Haley sat down at the foot of the bed, letting the footboard support her slight frame. She looked around the sparsely decorated room, realizing that she'd purposefully sat as far away from Nate as the footboard would allow her to go. She watched the dark haired boy for a moment, seeing that he was lost in contemplation. Haley hesitantly reached a small foot out and nudged his long leg, hoping to bring him back to the present. "Nathan, are you okay? I can leave you alone if you want…" she trailed off, growing more confused about what he wanted to show her in his room.

Before she could move, Nathan reached down and playfully grabbed her foot. "I'm okay, but I don't want you to leave," he wistfully replied, his tone instantly capturing her attention. There was something vulnerable in his voice, something that compelled her to stay where she was sitting.

"What did you want to show me, Nate?" she gently probed, seeing that there were so many powerful emotions clouding his deep blue eyes. She loved those eyes, the same eyes that Lucas had. Haley could fault Dan Scott with a million things, but he tended to create beautiful blue-eyed sons.

Nathan stared at her a moment, weighing his need to get some things off his chest versus the intense need for privacy he'd cloaked issues related to his family in for years. Finally, he gave her one last look before bending over the side of the bed and pulling out a box.

Haley watched as he set a dilapidated brown corrugated box in front of him, playing with the sides, as if he wasn't convinced that sharing its contents was a smart idea. He looked up at her shyly, deciding that she was a good person to show his memories to. "This is all the stuff I have from my mom," he hesitantly began, watching her eyes as they softened in sympathy. Normally Nathan hated it when anyone did that near him, the old 'poor Nathan's mom up and died' routine. But Haley was different; there was sympathy there, but also interest in the words he was speaking.

Haley leaned over and took a short peak in the box. "What kinds of things do you have?" she asked, knowing that Nathan must be in some serious pain to share his mom's belongings with her, a near stranger.

Nathan shrugged at her question. "Odds and ends mostly. Dad packed up most of her stuff a long time ago and it's in the attic of our other house. He's never been able to give most of it away. These are little things that got overlooked, or things that I got to first," he confided, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial ton, even though his dad was not around. "It took my grandparents nearly a year to talk him into giving her clothes away to charity, but it took them a few more years to get him to box up other stuff," he finished, sadness covering his eyes.

Haley reached out and held his hand, wanting to reassure him and keep him talking. She'd always sensed that Nathan repressed so many things about himself, his feelings and his family. That was just one of the things he and Lucas had in common. They both tried so hard to contain all of their feelings making a blow up at someone inevitable. "You don't talk about her much, do you?" she asked, knowing the answer before he shook his head a bit in agreement.

Nathan took a deep breath, trying to steady his emotions. "It's hard. I mean, dad is so strong but when it comes to mom he just gets quiet and I don't want to make him any sadder than he already is. My grandparents aren't really in town long enough for me to ask them questions. And my mom didn't have any brothers or sisters, so I can't ask them anything," he explained, finding comfort in her warm brown eyes.

She considered his words for a moment before speaking. "What about Keith? I mean, she was his sister in law for eight years, I bet he knows some things about her."

Nathan leaned back against the headboard, thinking about her words. "But I don't know Keith well enough to ask him. I mean, he's pretty much aligned himself with the enemy camp," Nathan retorted.

"Maybe Keith thought that Lucas and Karen needed somebody to help them out," she gently reminded him, not wanting to get into the family fight that was threatening both generations of Scott Brothers. "I know Keith very well and I know that he's said several times that he and your dad have never gotten along. It's an interesting preview at where you and Lucas are headed," she stated, wishing that someone in this family would get a clue.

"I don't want to talk about Lucas," Nathan sullen said, still smarting from the punches his half brother had landed only hours before. "But you are right; Keith might have some information about my mom that he would be willing to share."

Haley, still holding his hand, moved to sit next to him at the head of the bed. She kicked her shoes off onto the floor and carefully moved next to him so that they were both sitting near the box. "Can I see a picture of her?" she gently asked, curious about the woman who had taken Luke's father away. Karen tended to avoid any mention of Nathan's mom or the past in general, but Haley could sense that the older woman was bitter about Deb. Haley personally thought Karen was lucky to have escaped Dan Scott, regardless of what the impetus was.

She silently watched as Nathan moved some items around the box, looking for an old photo album. "These are some of the pictures I found a few years ago," he explained, holding the album out so they both could see. He flipped to a picture of his mom holding him a few days after he was born.

Nathan peered hard at the picture, as if an archeologist straining to unlock and discover hidden symbols from an artifact. "I know I totally look like dad," he offered, sad that he didn't carry more of his mother in his physical appearance.

Haley stared at the picture, seeing the woman's blonde features, her joy at newfound motherhood evident by the huge smile on her face. She studied the picture a moment before announcing, "You've got your mother's smile."

Nathan's eyes lit up at her words, never hearing that comparison before. "I do?" he asked, happiness washing over his overly serious face. She nodded, pointing out the laugh lines that were so similarly displayed on her 16-year-old son's face. "Right here… and here…" she pointed to the picture as she touched the corresponding places on his face. Haley realized what she was doing and jerked her hand away his face, almost as if scalded by the warmth she found there. Nathan frowned, liking the warmth of her small hand on his face, the gentle almost caressing way she held him.

Haley continued staring at him, her eyes as big as saucers. "I'm sorry, Nathan. I shouldn't have pawed you like that," she began, before he cut her off. "It's okay, it was kind of nice," he admitted, pulling her back to the center of the bed where he sat. He continued to flip through pictures of his family, stopping occasionally when Haley would point out a similarity between him and his mom. Reaching the last page, Nathan shut the book and put it back into the box, before leaning over the edge of the bed and sliding it out of sight.

"I guess that's enough emotional torture for one night," he lamely commented, convinced that Haley probably thought he was a basket case by now. She leaned back against the headboard, and looked over at him. "I didn't mind. It was nice seeing your mom and dad together. They looked really happy to be your parents," she offered, not convinced that Dan Scott should ever be allowed to father another child, but satisfied that the man at least abandoned Lucas for a family he genuinely cared about. Not that it would matter to Lucas on either count.

"I just don't understand why I'm thinking about her all the time after so many years," he replied, confusion written across his face. Everything Nathan saw reminded him of his mother. He'd never been able to talk to Dan about anything let alone his mother, and with Peyton, she had tended to break down anytime someone said the word 'mother' in her presence. Haley was different though; she was kind and supportive without being patronizing.

Haley took a deep breath, knowing that her words would either offer comfort or torment to her new found...friend. "Do you think maybe it has something to do with the fact that this is the point of which you've been without a mother longer than you had one?"

Nathan considered her words for a moment, realizing that she was right. Every day that past was a day that added to the time he'd been without his mom. This year marked the point of his life where she'd been gone longer than she was around. The thought was a sobering one, as Nathan realized every year would diminish the time spent with her, the time during which he had a mom. His eyes teared up a moment, actively fighting the sadness that was growing inside him.

Haley saw his eyes mist over and she hesitantly reached out and wrapped her arms around him in a quick embrace. She was surprised when his arms tightened around her, effectively trapping her against his warm, solid body. Nathan leaned into her small frame and laid his head on her shoulder, content to take the solace she offered him.

Relaxing against his much larger frame, Haley closed her eyes, inhaling his strong masculine scent, noting little details about him that she'd never noticed from their normal tutoring distance. His dark hair was coarse but smelled nice, a scent evocative of woods and warmth wafted up toward her nose. And while the proximity of their bodies was tantalizing, it was also safe, a protected haven from the larger world around them.

Reluctantly Nathan loosened his grip, knowing that the moment was over. She was either the kindest tutor in the world, or she was being very tolerant as a friend. He noticed that she didn't immediately move away from him, but rather remained cradled against his body, trapped between his strong thighs and broad chest. Nathan peered down at her from where he leaned back against the headboard, easily supporting her slight weight.

She gave him a small smile as she glanced down at her watch. "Oh wow…It's nearly 1 AM, I should be finding a way home," she noted, not sure how she'd get across town since Lucas was her ride to the party. And Haley wasn't sure that she wanted to seek her friend out, having seen the glazed, drunken expression in his eyes and the blanket he carried out of the house. And it's not like she could drive Keith's truck, as she had trouble handling the small Honda her parents occasionally let her drive.

Nathan stood up, following her off the bed. He reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her back to where he stood in the center of the room. "Hey, when I asked you to come to the party, I promised you a beer and a dance," he reminded her, laughter creeping into his voice for the first time since their talk.

She smiled at him uncertainly, recalling his offer from earlier that day. "Well, I got a warm wine cooler, so I guess we'll have to call that good," she decided, not wanting to risk drinking a beer at this late hour. Nathan didn't let go of her hand, wanting an excuse to keep touching the warmth he associated with her and her kindness. "Or you could have that dance with me, so you'll know that I'm an honest host," he shyly suggested, wondering where all this trepidation was coming from. Nathan tended to take what he wanted from girls, without a concern for what they thought about him in the morning. But Haley was different…

She smiled at him, letting him pull her into his arms. "Hum, Nathan, there's no music," she pointed out, not sure what they were dancing to. Nathan smiled at her comment, enjoying the feel of her in his arms. "We don't need music to dance," he pointed out; swaying to his own rhythm, content just to have this girl in his arms. For the first time in a long time, Nathan Scott was happy.

* * *

Next: Dan and Karen reveal some secrets from the past.

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

Here's the latest chapter. It's mostly Dan/Karen, so it will be interesting to see whose interested. This chapter shows that there's a lot of history and present between these two and the secrets they keep. Sorry for the delay in posting. I kind of forgot about posting this story.

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 8

* * *

Karen dropped the old photo album on her bed as a knock rang out from the front door. Looking over at her worn alarm clock, she noted it was just shy of 1 AM. Sighing, she headed for the front door, expecting the worse. Lucas had his own key and he'd never use the front door anyway, as he always preferred to enter and leave the house from his own room. She hurried to the door, knowing that only bad news came late at night. She forgot her robe in the rush to answer the barrage of knocks, fearing news of another car accident involving her son.

Fumbling with the locks, she finally freed the door and threw it open, only to find Dan on her doorstep. She stared at him like he was a strange creature from another planet, before finding her voice. "In most parts of the civilized world, this is considered a bad time to visit, Dan. It's 1 in the morning, for god's sake," she started, her eyes roaming his body for signs of drunkenness.

Dan hesitated, not realizing how long he'd spent reminiscing in the attic. "I had to talk to you, Karen. And when I drove by, I saw your light on," he defended himself, wanting her to know he was not a complete moron. That thought made him sheepish, causing him to look away from her tousled hair and down at the worn, creaking floor boards of the porch.

She folded her arms across her body, both from discomfort and the night chill that crept through the doorway. "My light? And what makes you think that's not the light from Luke's room? It's not like you've ever been in your son's house enough to know where he sleeps at night. What would you have done if he'd answered the door, Dan?" Karen questioned, completely confused by his actions.

Dan finally looked at her, finding her intense blue eyes. "Luke is at the party at the beach house. No self-respecting kid would be home on a Friday night when there's an after game party across town. I figured he was out and you were still up, based on the light," he offered, trying to show there was a thought process behind his actions.

Karen remained speechless a full minute before grabbing his wrist and shoving his sweatshirt sleeve up to reveal his expensive gold watch. "Yes, and as of four minutes ago, Lucas is official breaking his curfew. He could pull into the drive way any minute now," she argued, not sure what the point was for any of it. It was late and Dan shouldn't be there, she thought.

"Did you yell at him for the fight during the game?" Dan asked, watching her nod. "Then trust me, he's not going to come home for curfew. He's already in trouble and he's doing his best to avoid you."

Karen leaned against the doorframe, staring at her ex boyfriend with appraising eyes. "Wow...such insight into a son you know nothing about," she snarked, tired and facing a day of hard work with no sleep. Saturdays were the busiest day of the week at the café and she had a loyal following of people who showed up just for her homemade cinnamon rolls. Rolls that required her presence at work before daybreak. "Dan, why are you here?"

He hedged a moment, completely uncomfortable standing on her porch, knowing he wasn't worthy of being invited inside. "I need your help," he plaintively said, knowing that honesty was always the best policy with Karen. It always had been, which had caused him numerous problems over the years.

"Great, come see me tomorrow when I have clothes on and am awake," she commented as she started to close the door on him. He quickly slid a foot between the door and the frame, stopping her from shutting him out for good. "Kar, I need your help."

The plain simplicity of his words in conjunction with the use of his pet name for her gave Karen pause. Dan wasn't a man who ever asked for anything or showed any kind of need. For him to say those few words indicated that he was indeed desperate.

She absently rubbed her arms, finding her tight fitting tank top a bit too revealing for late night confessionals. "Dan, Lucas could show up any minute. I don't even know what he'd do if he found you in his house," she noted, wanting to help the man in front of her but not wanting to upset her son.

Slowly, Dan nodded in agreement, seeing the wisdom of not alerting the town gossips to his late night visit. "Then invite me in. If we hear him coming, I can hide in another room until he goes to bed," Dan suggested, not hearing how silly his words were. Karen laughed at him much to his confusion. "And of course he'd not see your Jag and realize you were skulking about," she pointed out, showing him the flaws in his plan.

"Give me some credit, Karen. I parked three blocks over and cut through some back yards. No one will know I'm here... that is if you'll let me in before one of your neighbors sees us together," he said, smiling as she stuck her head out the door, scanning for any busybodies that might be lurking. "Oh god, just get in," she said, pulling him roughly into her small living room. As she closed the door he took a moment to study her in the room's low light. He smiled fondly, thinking only Karen could make a tank top and flannel pajama pants look good. She'd always had a casual style that looked good in any setting.

Karen crossed her arms across her chest, not liking the fact that Dan was staring at her. "Okay, you've got 15 minutes to tell me what couldn't wait until sunrise. If you hear any noise coming from the outside of the house, run into that room and close the door," she said, pointing towards her bedroom door. "You can climb out the window and go skulking back through the yards from whence you came." It wouldn't be the first time that Dan Scott had climbed out her window in the middle of the night. They'd had that act down to an art when they were in high school.

Silently, he nodded, realizing that he couldn't dictate terms in her house. He looked around the small living room and noted how it reflected Karen's eclectic style. While most of the room's furnishings were modest, there was a sense of comfort that seemed to elude his own expensive house. The sound of Karen's foot tapping impatiently against the worn hard wood floor broke his reflection.

Dan sighed. "Could I have something to drink? Maybe some coffee?" he asked, unsure how to explain what he was feeling. Karen shook her head, not caring if she was being a rude hostess. "You'll be gone before the coffee could brew."

"Water?" he hedged, deciding that mundane conversation about beverages was better than digging around his feelings. Karen frowned at him. "Not even a glass of tap water. Now either tell me what couldn't wait until tomorrow, or take a seat and deal with Lucas when he stumbles in from that party," she offered, knowing that Dan couldn't face Lucas in the gym after games, let alone on the boy's own turf. They'd spent years choreographing a delicate dance between "their" parts of town, trying to ensure that Lucas wouldn't run into his long absent father. It was only recently that those measures had failed, sending both men on a crash course for each other's lives.

Dan ran a frustrated hand through his hair, not sure how to begin. He'd always sucked at talking about things like this, important emotional issues that seemed to constantly bombard him. He did much better with cold financial deals and unemotional discussions. He looked up at Karen and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know how to do this," he simply said.

His words caught her off guard. She'd expected some fluff about Lucas and Nathan and basketball, but his statement surprised her. "Don't know how to do what, Dan?"

"I don't know how to fix this. I don't know how to approach Lucas or what to say to him outside of snide comments," he confided, embarrassed that he had to tell Karen about the type of conversations he normally had with their son. Dan's words rushed out, the panic he felt about his lack of control evident to her.

"It doesn't have to be wrapped in prose, Dan. Just say something nice to him, like 'hello' or 'good game'. You have to start off slowly or he'll immediately shut you out. He can smell ulterior motives a mile away," Karen warned. Dan was so blunt that casual conversation usually eluded him. Lucas was a perceptive boy, perceptive enough to realize that anything nice that Dan said was more than likely forced, which would cause him to withdraw even more than normal.

Dan leaned against the back of her worn couch, feeling the need to blend in more with his surroundings. It was rare that he ever felt insecure about anything or anyone. But his oldest son had the singular ability to make Dan feel tiny and insignificant. "He hates me," Dan whispered, even now having trouble admitting that he couldn't influence or control people's opinion of him. To have someone openly hate him was one thing, for it to be his own child was a completely different and somewhat unacceptable situation.

Karen sat down in a faded wing chair, her weariness finally catching up with her. "What do you expect, Dan? You've made a lot of bad decisions over the years," she concluded, sad that her son had to suffer so much at the hands of his own father.

Dan looked at her with a raised eyebrow and a look of incredulity on his face. "I've made bad decisions?" he said, laughing in a completely mirthless manner. "I think we both need to accept that we've made bad decisions, Kar. Both of us."

She absently played with a throw pillow before answering his accusation. "Nobody told you that you couldn't visit him, Dan. And I don't recall suggesting that you question his paternity in public or that you snub him whenever you saw him in town. Those were all your decisions," she reminded him, her anger and pain growing with each passing moment. Part of Lucas had been wounded in a way that she doubted he'd ever truly recover.

Dan leaned over the back of the couch, bracing his strong arms along the padded back. "Well maybe I should just corner the boy after a game and apologize to him. I mean, maybe it's time he knows that I tried to be a part of his life and you decided that wasn't going to happen," he said, accusation and past pain evident in his voice.

Karen's heart lurched, knowing that she should have expected this from Dan. He wasn't one to live and let live. "I told you that I'd never agree to joint custody Dan. But I never told you that you couldn't be in his life. You decided that it was all or nothing and you chose to walk out on your son."

Dan stalked around the couch and sat down on the edge of the object, barely two feet from where she sat in her chair.

"You offered me a 2 hour supervised visit once a week. That's not parenting, that's a conjugal prison visit," he argued, still angry about her attitude from all those years ago.

Karen shifted, subtly moving away from the intensity that was Dan Scott. "Those two hours a week would have radically changed your son's life, Dan. He didn't care how long you came to visit, only that he never got a chance to know you. You had that chance and you turned us down flat."

16 years worth of accusations broke forth from inside Dan. "I'm so sick of hearing you whine about being a single mother, Karen. You didn't have to be a single mother, you made that decision the day you kicked me out of our child's life. All I wanted was to take Luke to my house a couple of days a week and be a real parent. You could have used that time to rest or do whatever it is that single mothers never have a chance to do," he retorted, failing to keep the pain and anger out of his voice. He looked at her in irritation, his eyes blue storms of confusion. "I don't get it, Karen. We talked about having kids for years and then when we finally get one, you decide I'm not good enough to be a father?"

She considered his words, knowing that those past emotions lay too close to the surface, too accessible to her despite the passage of time. "Right, I should have just turned my baby over to you after you missed the entire pregnancy, his birth and the first four months of his life. Not to mention that you spent all your time at work back then. Did you think I was going to give my baby to some strange woman who had her own baby to watch? Lucas was better off with me than enduring that kind of stress," Karen refuted.

Dan sat back into the couch, complete amazement written on his face. It had been such a tumultuous time, a time of school finals, impending pregnancy, babies coming left and right and the never-ending barrage of criticism he'd weathered from his and Deb's parents. "What does Deb have to do with this?" he asked, seeing by Karen's reaction that he'd hit a sore point. "I had to work hard those first few years to get my business going. But I originally thought I'd try to get Lucas on my days off. Besides, Deb was a good mother, she could have watched both boys if I had to run to work to take care of something." He'd discussed this with Deb, who was more than willing to watch both babies if worked called him away. His wife had been so encouraging regarding Lucas. She cajoled Dan every opportunity she had, trying to get him to take an interest in his oldest son.

But for Dan it hadn't been lack of interest or time. He'd simply been worn out by Karen's conditions and stipulations. She'd made it nearly impossible for him to see his boy without her present. And he'd never really felt free to open up the few times he spent with Lucas, to really enjoy being around his distant son. Lucas eventually became a symbol of the fights and legal threats of his mother, something that Dan had come to see as a burden. The few visits he'd had with Luke were draped in animosity and regret, encouraging Dan's decision to stop fighting for extended visits and to eventually stop fighting to see his boy at all.

Karen's face grew tight and hard, Dan's words clearly hitting a sore spot with her. He assessed her reaction, still confused. "Wait... this had more to do with Deb than with your concerns about my sucky parental skills," he challenged, the pieces of a very confused puzzling dropping into place after so many years.

Karen's shoulders dropped in defeat, the lateness of the hour finally wearing down what was left of her defenses. "I was young, Dan. I was worn out from working two jobs and worrying about how to take care of my baby. The last thing I needed to add to that situation was fear that I'd lose my baby to the same woman that I lost you to."

Her words were filled with regret and pain, even more so as she noticed the affect they had on her ex love. His shoulders slumped and he stared at her in confusion. "I don't understand..."

Karen stood up, moving around the room to gain distance from him. "I was jealous, Dan. We spent four years together and yet you married some girl you barely knew, picking her over me. I was afraid that if you had joint custody of Lucas, or any kind of overnight visitation that he'd eventually want to stay with you and not me. I didn't want Lucas around her, seeing her as another mother figure," she softly said, finally confessing her most private thoughts from the past. "I was afraid that Lucas would pick her over me and want to live with you and Deb."

Dan stared at the floor, not sure if his anger would win out over his doubts from the past. He'd been horrible to Karen back then. He didn't deny that, and that fact tended to eat away at him at night, adding to the chorus of regret surrounding Deb and Daniel. But he wasn't sure why Karen's voice held so much anger regarding Deb. The woman was practically a saint. She'd taken the nasty circumstances of her husband's multiple fatherhood in stride and done everything within her power to convince Dan to be a part of Luke's life. Why would Karen resent that kind of woman to the point of pushing her son out of his father's new family? "I didn't want to take him away from you, Karen. I just wanted to play a role in his life. Deb pushed me to ask you for joint custody, because she predicted how this would turn out years ago. She didn't want my son to be a stranger to our family. It was never a competition," he emphasized.

Karen laughed at him derisively. "It's always about competition with you, Dan. You don't know any other way to do things other than to form a game plan and annihilate the opposition. I knew that you'd eventually get mad at me over something, or you'd feel the need to dominate the custody agreement. It was easier to cut you out in the beginning than give you grounds to sue for sole custody later on."

Dan stared at her in both anger and amazement. "You denied our son a father and screwed up his life in order to outplay me?" He knew he shouldn't have been surprised, but he was. Karen had been one of the few people that could hold her own around Dan. He'd never been able to push her around unlike most people that surrounded him. He stood up and moved, unable to contain his restless nature, hoping that some of his anger at this woman might diminish if he could just get some distance from her.

Karen shrugged her shoulders at her former love, not particularly liking the sadness she felt at seeing the disappointment and anger he currently held for her. "You taught me a long time ago that the best offense is a good defense. I was being overly defensive. I figured that eventually you'd agree to my limited visitation schedule, which would allow you to spend some time with your son, yet would keep Lucas away from your wife."

Dan closed his eyes and sighed. "And people accuse me of a being a cold, ruthless bastard. St. Karen, the town's poor abandoned woman... if they only knew," he bitterly retorted, happy when he saw her flinch in response to his harsh words.

Karen recovered quickly and her eyes narrowed, her anger growing. Only Dan Scott was capable of evoking such deep emotions in her. "Oh don't play model father with me, Danny. We both know that with you it's all or nothing. You would have never been satisfied with controlling Lucas only 50 of the time. You'd have ruined me, said anything you had to in order to prove me unfit to get sole custody. I was young and I was hurt and I made a lot of mistakes. But in the end, I did what I had to do," she concurred.

Karen had spent years worrying that Dan and Deb would mount a custody battled based on their wealth and her status as a single mom who worked long hours. A lawyer had advised her that they were in a good position to win any custody battle based on their financial status and having a home with both a mother and a father. It was bad enough that she barely made ends meet, but her lawyer advised her that Dan would look more favorable to the court since Deb was a stay at home mom. Giving Dan any kind of foothold in Luke's life might have helped him take her boy away. By impeding Dan's visitation, she proactively built a case against him, allowing her to say that Dan had never been involved in Luke's life.

Dan stared at her in amazement, so many questions from the past finally making sense. "Oh...you made our boy feel abandoned and worthless, so that you could win? That's great, Karen. I'm sure that will make a world of difference to Lucas when he finds out the truth. I mean, any one can tell that you've fed the boy nothing but lies about me, turning him against me. I never had a chance with him," Dan complained, wounded by the past in a way that seemed mortal. She spent all night encouraging him to make peace with their son knowing that it was futile, that she'd already ingrained hatred toward his father in him.

"No, Dan. You did a lot of the damage yourself. You could have smiled at him in public, or even talked to him at junior leagues. I told him you didn't want to be involved with his life, that you had another family, and he shouldn't expect anything from you. Your rejection and public snubs just reinforced that." The hatred and pain in his eyes forced her to look away, giving him that slight concession in their long-standing battle.

Dan sank wordlessly back onto the sofa, lost in a sea of past doubts and what ifs. "So the only way I can ever convince my son that I tried to be in his life, that I didn't hate him from birth, is to tell him that his mother manipulated and lied to both us," he blandly stated, realizing that there was no way to create a happy ending in this situation. "He doesn't want nice words, Kar. He wants answers about the past and the only explanation I can give him is that you cut me out of his life because you were mad that I married another woman."

A tear trickled down Karen's cheek, knowing he had a point. In the past, Karen hadn't cared what Lucas thought about Dan and if the boy put all the blame on Dan for not being around, it was fine with her. But Lucas was digging in the past with a renewed fervor the past few months. And she feared that she was about to fall off the pedestal he'd put her on.

They sat there in silence, as the hall clock tolled 2AM. She briefly wondered where Lucas was but that concern was overshadowed as Dan leaned in toward her. "We need to find some way to fix this, Karen, without telling Lucas about the past." There was an earnestness in Dan that she'd not seen in years.

She sniffled a bit, attempting to wipe away the signs of weakness she knew was written all over her face. She looked over at him. "The lies are catching up with us, Dan. He's already been digging around the house for things, and he's been asking Keith a lot of questions about the past, including the accident."

He looked up sharply at her words. "Do you think he's finally starting to remember? That the memories have broken through?" The doctors had warned them that Lucas might never remember anything about the accident or the aftermath. He'd seemed to have lost a week on either side of his coma, not remembering anything from school before the wreck and not remembering much until he was home from the hospital and nearly fully recovered.

Dan slowly nodded, realizing that this couldn't be a good thing. "What does he know?" he gently asked, having only been around long enough for the basic agreement that they'd just remove Dan from every aspect of that night's events. The fact that he'd rescued his brother and his son, provided CPR for the boy and gotten his heart going again were mere footnotes to a lost historical textbook.

Karen recited the "official" account from rote. "We told him that there was a wreck and that Keith got him to the hospital in time for surgery.

Dan frowned, not liking the over simplistic lie. "Did he not wonder about Keith's own injuries and the fact that Keith's truck was totaled?" he asked, knowing that Lucas was smart enough to know that the hospital was too far way from the accident scene to walk.

"He never seemed to think about that...until recently," she admitted, worrying about what Lucas was up to. Much like Dan, Luke had a tenacity curiosity and her son was always convinced his hunches were right. He wasn't likely to let this go anytime soon. The custody issue...the wreck... so many past lies that threatened to rain down debris.

Dan sighed and looked over at her, happy that she was as disconcerted as he was. "This isn't boding well, Kar."

* * *

Next: We finally move off this day and head into Monday

Brooke gets grilled, Lucas realized he's solo mio come lunch time,

and Dan and Karen get a plan worthy of the Superfriends.


	10. Chapter 10

* * *

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 9

* * *

_Monday Morning_

The warning bell rang out, causing a frenzied, last minute activity at the lockers that lined the hallway. Brooke lethargically pushed some books around her locker, less interested in finding her biology textbook than in avoiding the crowd of cheerleaders that surrounded her. Giving up on finding a few moments of peace, she pasted on her fakest cheer smile and began walking toward her classroom.

Lucas watched the approaching herd amble down the hallway and quickly found Brooke, the brightest girl in a group of pretty faces. Their eyes met for only a moment but she gave him a shy smile before breaking their gaze and moving on with the herd. Lucas' smile faded as he watched her walk off, noticing for the first time the dark circles under her very pretty eyes. Frowning, he grabbed his calc book and headed off for class, wondering what dreams were keeping Brooke Davis awake at night.

Meandering into her bio class, Brooke selected her usual seat near the back of the classroom, silently lamenting that she only shared 2 classes with Lucas. Of course, Lucas was smart and had most of his classes with the nerdy students. Ignoring the mindless chatter and endless gossip of the cheer herd surrounding her, she slumped down in her chair, pulling her uncharacteristically big shirt over her torso. Brooke absently rubbed her stomach, as her mind flashbacked to a few hours earlier, when she'd woken up and found her stepfather sitting on her bed. The memory of it caused her stomach to churn, flooding her with disgust that threatened to overwhelm her. Trey had a perfectly good reason for being in his stepdaughter's bedroom. He was taking her mother on a mini vacation and wanted to make sure she had enough money for the next few days. Brooke was never able to pinpoint what exactly it was about the man that creeped her out. She hated the way he always found some reason to touch her, the way his clammy hand felt sliding over her exposed skin. And the fact that his hands lingered a bit too long or his hugs were a bit too tight just added to her uncomfortable feelings. It was getting to the point where she couldn't fall asleep at night any more, fearing that he'd find another way to force the feeble lock on her bed room door open. She sighed, saddened that she couldn't feel safe in her own home. The night of the wedding flashed in her mind, of J.J.'s hands sliding her dress off her trembling body and Brooke realized that she hadn't been safe in her home for a long time.

"Brooke, we're waiting," a voice harped, breaking her reverie. Brooke looked up, startled that she was the intense focus of the cheer herd's attention. "What?" She asked, trying not to look completely lame.

One of the other cheerleaders spoke up. "Hello? We were all at the party Friday night, B. We're waiting impatiently to know what Lucas Scott scored on the Brooke Davis sex-o-meter." The girls giggled at their own cleverness, while Brooke shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

Brooke's face dropped, even as she prepared her response. "A lady never tells," she demurely replied side stepping the question. She felt an uncharacteristic protectiveness regarding Broody's private life. They'd shared something special that night on the dock, something that she jealously guarded.

A cacophony of cackles rose from the herd. "Since when did you fancy yourself a lady? We just want to know if Lucas is any good," Theresa prodded, knowing that most of the squad wanted to sample the delights of the other Scott boy.

Hearing her words, Brooke's smile faltered. She was spared a retort as their teacher finally made his way into the room. She ignored the curious stares of the girls around her, and busied herself with pulling out her notebook and finding her ink pen. Once class was underway, she found her attention wandering from the fascinating discussion of the mudpuppy's skeletal structure. Her mind kept repeating the words "Brooke Davis sex o meter". Her stepfather only saw the truth her friends stated a few moments earlier: she was the town slut and deserved whatever she got.

* * *

Lucas griped his brown paper lunch bag, his eyes squinting as he searched the quad for Haley. Good days or bad, they'd eaten lunch together every school day for eight years. He'd avoided Haley for the majority of the weekend, not wanting to argue about his actions at the beach house. Frowning, he realized this was one of the longest periods of time he'd ever gone without talking to his best friend. Lucas just didn't see the problem with him drinking a bit when she was obviously doing more than drinking with his archenemy. He realized he was going to have to sit down and talk their problems out, and there was no better time than during their usual lunch meeting.

Feeling a slight touch at his back, Lucas turned and saw Brooke, diet coke in hand, wearing a look of disdain on her pretty face. "If you've lost tutor girl, you can find her sitting in my lunch spot with Nathan," she revealed directing his attention to where the couple sat under the large oak tree in the center of the quad.

Lucas unconsciously mashed the brown bag in his hand, hurt that he'd been abandoned once again in favor of Nathan. As he looked at them, Haley let out an uncharacteristic giggle, nearly doubled over in laughter from something Nathan said. Lucas' frown grew, wondering when the last time she'd giggled like a silly girl. Not wanting to witness any more of demeaning behavior, Lucas turned away only to see the same look of disgust on Brooke's face. "It's like a freaking Doris Day movie," she snarked, nodding in the direction of Biff and Buffy.

He leaned forward and hesitantly brushed a strand of dark auburn hair off her check, gently tucking it behind her ear, gaining a smile from her for his actions. "Forget them," he said, refusing to dwell on his fight with Haley from the weekend and the uneasy silence between them. "Would you like to eat lunch with me?" he asked, liking the way her smile warmed up his own dark mood.

She hooked her arm through his, allowing him to escort her over to a remote part of the quad, a place where he tended to go when he wanted some alone time or a quiet place to read a book. Brooke waited as he spread his jacket on the ground for her and then gingerly sat down; making sure she her short skirt didn't ride up in the process. Lucas pulled his lunch out of the bag, pausing when he noticed that Brooke only had her diet coke. "Did you forget your lunch?" he asked, motioning to her obvious lack of food.

"I usually don't bring my lunch," she answered, watching as Lucas organized several sandwiches and ziplock bags on the ground in front of him. She didn't want to admit that her stomach hurt so badly that eating was almost always an exercise in futility. She was lucky if she could keep the blandest of food down every couple of days. She'd never been a big eater, but the past couple of months had completely destroyed her appetite.

He looked over at her and frowned, holding his huge sandwich only inches from his mouth. "You aren't one of those diet girls, are you?" he asked, before tearing into the sandwich with great intensity. She giggled at him before leaning over to wipe a stray tomato seed off the corner of his mouth. She thought a moment and then spoke. "I'm not dieting…I'm just perpetually not hungry."

"Have you always skipped lunch?" he asked, wondering how girls could starve themselves and still make it through the school day. He moved one of his sandwiches over in front of her, pausing a moment before adding his bag of Oreos.

Brooke smiled at this sweet gesture, forgoing a protest about him giving away part of his lunch. "Lucas, I can't possible eat an entire sandwich and all those cookies."

He opened the bag and pulled out one of the dark cookies. "But these aren't just any cookie, these are filled with all sorts of good stuff, like chocolate and white goo," Lucas explained, fumbling over the exact words.

Brooke died laughing at his words, before smirking at him with a sinful smile. "Oh, I love white goo," she said, her tone both mocking and sensual. Something deep inside him twitched, sending his brain all sorts of images of what he'd like to do with her. Those feelings intensified as he watched her lick the center of the cookie.

She finished off her cookie and smiled at a long forgotten memory. Lucas studied her face, curious as to what thoughts lightened her mood. She caught his questioning gaze and explained. "When I was in elementary school, my parents tended to forget about lunches. They never left me money to buy my lunch and they rarely remembered to send something from home," she explained, doing her best to avoid the look of pity already creeping in his eyes. "Anyway, Nathan always gave me half of his lunch so that I'd have something to eat."

Lucas remained quiet, knowing that while Nathan had never willing shared anything with him, it was good that he could be generous with his friends. "How long did that last?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "It's still going on. My parents wouldn't know what a grocery store was if you dropped it on their beamer. After a few years, Dan wondered why Nate always came home from school starving. When Dan found out that Nate was giving me half his lunch, he just started throwing in two of everything, so we both could eat." She looked over at where her best friend sat, sharing his chips with Haley. "In all these years, we've never let date-mates get in our lunch time, but I guess that's changed."

Lucas missed her last sentence, focusing instead on the image of his worthless father making sure his son's friend had something to eat, when he never cared if his other son went without. "I guess it's nice that Dan cared whether you went without food, cause it's damn certain he didn't care if I was hungry," he muttered, dropping his uneaten sandwich. Dan was one topic that could kill Luke's normally voracious appetite.

"He really messes with your mind, doesn't he?" she hesitantly asked, knowing that if Lucas was like Nathan, he didn't want to talk about Dan. Lucas looked at her in surprise. She motioned to his shoulders. "Anytime someone mentions Dan or Nathan, your shoulders tense up and you go all Quasimodo hunchback on me."

Lucas stared at her a moment before breaking out into laughter. "Has anyone ever told you that you have a way with words, Brooke?" She smiled at him and reached out and grasped his hand. "I've been told I'm good at a lot of things, but nothing that involved words," she sultrily replied. Brooke moved a bit closer to him, knowing that even on a bad day she had the ability to seduce any guy she wanted. Even when she was at her worst, being near a guy always made her feel less lonely.

Sighing, Luke tried to block out the distant noise of the lunch crowd and the stress that threatened to overwhelm him at times. "Well, I hate the man. I can't think of anyone I'd rather not be related to than Dan Scott. I just don't know why I couldn't have had a normal father," he gently remarked, his voice growing softer with the accumulations of years of anger and hurt. Looking up, he saw a similar pain her hazel eyes. "What about your dad?"

Her head jerked up in fear, wondering what he'd heard. "What about my dad?" she snapped, fearing that someone had seen or heard something about Trey. Lucas' eyes narrowed in confusion. "I just thought that he moved away or something, after the divorce." The Davis family was as old as Tree Hill itself. Anything they did or said was gossip worthy news, and most of the town seemed fascinated by the turmoil that had rocked the family estate the past year.

Brooke forced herself to relax. He was asking about her daddy, not Trey. She took a deep breath, trying to stop her heart from pounding. "My daddy is in Charleston with his 'ho," she candidly admitted, knowing that everyone in town already knew he left her mom for some college girl. Well, that was a bit harsh, she realized. No sane person would willingly stay chained to her mom. Lucas raised an eyebrow at her word choice.

"Oh no, she's a 'ho, trust me. She knew daddy was married and that he had a daughter her age, and she went after him anyway. But he's happier now, so I guess I'm happy for him," she softly admitted, sad that she'd lost the only family member she kind of liked.

Lucas continued holding her hand, encouraging her to talk about it. "Do you miss him?" he asked, not sure if he'd even know what it was like to have a father to miss.

"Yeah, I miss him. He's a hard guy to get to know, cause he's always working and reading financial reports. But he always made sure I was home at night. And he'd make sure I had a new winter coat every year, and that I went to the dentist for regular appointments," she added, pointing out all the things her mother was oblivious to. "I guess it was just nice to have a parent around that occasionally noticed me."

Lucas nodded at her words, knowing that his life would have been unbearable without his mother around. And he'd always had Uncle Keith to go to with guy things that he couldn't share with his mother. "Could you go visit him or maybe stay with him part of the year?" he asked. He knew that her father ran the family corporation, which was a conglomeration of textile mills and factories that dotted across the entire Carolina piedmont. The Davis family was old money in a town where such distinctions mattered. While the Dan Scotts of the area had a lot of influence with new comers to the town, the Davis family and their ilk would always look down on new moneyed people like his own estranged father.

She absently played with a fallen leaf, twirling it about the grass. "I thought about it. I mean, I'd hate to give up cheering and all my friends, but I'm not really happy living with my mom since she got remarried," she finally admitted, hating to add to the gossip that surrounded her family. "Besides, when I hinted to daddy that I'd like to stay with him a while, his 'ho objected, because they are newlyweds and they need "alone time" or something," Brooke muttered, still angry that her daddy hadn't read the desperation in her voice. She'd called him the night after her mom got married, the night that J.J. had…and he'd completely ignored her subtle hints.

She shrugged, opting to dazzle Lucas with her smile and not the misery that was her life. "It doesn't matter. In a few more years, I'll be free. I'll go to the college of my choice, join the best sorority on campus, and do something important with my life. Tree Hill is just a distant memory waiting to happen," she stated, confident that she'd soon be free of her mom and sleaze of a stepfather.

Lucas considered her words and smiled back. "That makes two of us. I'm going to get a great job, move the hell away from this town, and go some place where the words bastard and illegitimate don't matter."

Brooke spontaneously reached out and hugged him, not caring who saw them or what they thought. Lucas hesitated only a second before wrapping his arms around her tiny waist and pulling her into his broad shoulder. The smell of her floral perfume infiltrated his senses, clouding his judgment and urging him to rethink his stance on public displays of affection. She slightly pulled back, still in his arms but now able to see his face. "Thank you," she whispered, a small smile hovering on her face.

Lucas frowned at her in confusion. "For what?"

"For listening to me, for making me feel important," she replied. She noticed people staring and she reluctantly pulled away from him, settling back onto his jacket. Lucas smiled at her as she stole the rest of his Oreos, feeling a lightness he'd not felt in months.

* * *

Dan sat at the counter of Karen's Café and aimlessly twirled a spoon around, watching it as it meander around in careless, imperfect circles. He silently observed Karen as she moved around her business, completely in her environment. She'd always been the organized nester of their group when they were in high school. Now her natural talents and hospitality were evident as she conversed with various customers asking an older man about his new granddaughter and a former teacher about her husband's health. Dan was an unqualified success, but he'd probably be even more successful if he possessed a fraction of Karen's ability to genuinely relate to customers.

He caught himself staring at her in admiration and quickly turned around to face the counter. People were already whispering, stunned to see Dan Scott in Karen's Café. 'Nothing in this town stays private', he fumed, tired of being judged for events that he'd created while still a kid. He fought the urge to yell, "I knocked her up 16 years ago and left her" to the couple directly behind him, who'd been giving him nasty stares since he walked into the building.

The past was no one's business but his and Karen's and if they wanted to talk, the rest of town could shove it, he reasoned.

Karen suddenly appeared in front of him, refilling his empty coffee cup. "All you need is more caffeine," she joked, motioning toward his nervously tapping foot. He sheepishly stopped moving his foot, knowing that Karen had always been able to read him like an open book.

"Okay, so I'm nervous. I can admit that I'm concerned about this," he voiced, wondering how she could look so relaxed. Their plan was deceptively simple, but both Karen and Dan knew that their sons could be totally unpredictable.

Karen caught a rare moment of vulnerability in his eyes and felt something in her heart soften towards her ex. They'd talked late into the night when he'd come to her house, and every conversation they had was less awkward than the one before. While they were still finding their way through this newfound truce, they were very clear on the ultimate goal, peace between their sons. After consulting with Whitey, their plan was set to go off within minutes. "Now all we have to do is wait for the fall out." Dan nodded at her words, and stared anxiously at the door.

* * *

AN: Replies are always wanted and appreciated. Per some of the emails I got regarding the story, the focus is mainly on Brucas, however, I always write stories that show multiple layers of relationships. For me, most of the issues that Lucas has involve Dan and the decisions that his parents made in the past. This story will always have secondary plot lines in relations to Brooke and Luke's relationship. The story isn't so much about their romance but rather how the dysfunction of their families affects that relationship. On the Peyton issue, I never attempt to write her well. I don't like the character and short of putting her in a shirt with a giant scarlet A on it, I consider that a job well done. Thanks!


	11. Chapter 11

* * *

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 10

* * *

Nathan practically bounced into the locker room, happy to be heading into practice after a great day. He'd gotten a B on his English paper and he'd convinced Haley to ditch Lucas and eat lunch with him. He nodded at a few of his teammates as he made his way to his locker. He'd barely gotten the lock off when he felt someone standing behind him, totally invading his personal space. Spinning around, Nathan found Lucas barely three inches from his face. "Man, you are seriously asking to get hit," Nathan warned, not liking the way he was effectively boxed in between the bench, the locker and his bastard half brother.

The team watched in an uneasy state of silence, knowing that the two brothers could start brawling at any moment. Jake and Tim eased closer, waiting to pull their respective friend out of the way in the worst-case scenario.

Lucas refused to back down, staring Nathan down, even as he moved closer. "If you hurt Haley, I will destroy you. Bank on it," he said quietly, but firmly enough that Nathan understood he was completely serious. Lucas fought the urge to hit the creep on principle but between their last fight and breaking curfew Friday night, he was already in a world of trouble with his mom.

Nathan noted the detached, cold look in Lucas' eyes and decided that he was not joking around. He tensed up, getting ready to reply, when the team parted like the Red Sea, revealing their coach. Whitey took a quick look at the two, toe to toe with clenched fists, and knew enough of the situation. "Scotts, both of you, in my office now. The rest of you hit the floor with gut drills," he barked, before retreating to his office. Jake caught a glimpse of a smile on the older man's face and knew that something big was going down. Whitey didn't look that happy when they won tournaments. Jake didn't want to know what had put such a grin on the man's face outside of playoff season.

Whitey sank down into his old faded chair and swiveled around to face the two boys. They were still in their street clothes and were sitting as far a part as the small office would allow. "In all my years of coaching, I've never seen such a disgusting, self centered act of hooliganism as Friday night's game." He paused a beat, gauging their reactions and was ticked when neither of them looked the least bit remorseful.

"I've witness female players on boy's varsity, integration during the 60's, and everything related to Dan Scott's ego. And Friday night left me speechless, boys."

He waited for someone to speak before realizing that they were too wise to try to justify their actions. He pointed from one brother to the next and smiled. "We're starting a new game plan today, boys. It's called the "brotherly love" plan."

Nathan glanced over at Lucas in confusion, startled by the near look of absolute joy on their coach's face. "I'd ask if you hit the bottle early today, Whitey, but you might take that the wrong way." Lucas remained silent, knowing that anything he said would get back to his Uncle and more than likely straight to Karen herself. He'd spent a good portion of his life biting his lip and fighting back retorts.

Whitey stood up and paced a few steps before turning to look at them. "Today something that I never expected took place. After a visit from our esteemed principal, who reminded me that fighting on school grounds was an automatic week's suspension, your parents showed up at my doorstep. We had a nice little chat, Dan, Karen, Principal Mathews and me," Whitey causally commented, noting the looks of horror on the boy's faces with something akin to glee.

Lucas finally found his voice. "Why were they at school?" he asked, not liking the idea that his mom was being forced to associate with Dan.

"Always prescient, Lucas. I like how you always cut through the BS and get straight to the pint," Whitey noted, giving Nathan a sly look. Whitey continued his narrative. "Your mom and dad spent a good hour explaining to Principle Matthews why the two of you can't manage to get along." Lucas frowned, not liking the idea of anyone telling a stranger why he hated his own brother, noticing that Nathan wasn't even paying attention to the coach.

"I suggested that you both be suspended from school and school activities per school policy for fighting," Whitey casually mentioned. Luke's heart constricted. He was sure that Nathan couldn't care a less about being suspended, but Lucas couldn't afford to miss that much school. His future depended on getting academic scholarships and his grades would suffer if he missed a week of school. While Nathan's classes were on the easy level, Luke's were mostly college level prep courses. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, knowing that Karen was going to kill him.

Nathan shrugged his shoulders with little concern. The principals pride and joy was his winning basketball team. The chances of him suspending the two best players were next to nothing.

Whitey sat back down, his eyes narrowing at Nathan's laizzez-faire reaction. "Well, Principal Matthews is willing to forgo a suspension." The boys smiled despite knowing it wasn't the wisest reaction. A smirk appeared on Nathan's face, as he glanced over at Lucas with an "I told you so" expression.

Whitey continued. "He's willing to forgo suspension, but your parents and I are not as accommodating," he finished, pleased that at least Lucas understood where this was going.

"In an earth shattering move, Dan and Karen have decided to pull you from basketball due to your behavior Friday night," Whitey stated, his famous grin creeping across his face.

Nathan bounced out of his chair. "You're lying. My father wouldn't pull me from a game if my internal organs were falling out, and he sure as hell wouldn't be making back room deals with his mother," he spat out, pointing derisively at Lucas.

Whitey folded his hands behind his head and leaned back in his old chair. "Boys, you've just entered a brave new world of parental cooperation. Dan and Karen are fed up with your behavior. As of today, you two are suspended from basketball for two days. Each subsequent fight or confrontation, such as what I walked in on in the locker room, will result in a suspension of incremental days."

Nathan's brow furled in confusion, until Lucas explained. "He means the next fight will get us a four day suspension and the next will get us an 8 day suspension," Lucas clarified, stunned at how dense Nathan could be.

Shaking his head, Nathan stood up. "There is no way my father agreed to that. You're just trying to scare us," he said, knowing that basketball was more important to Dan than anything in the world.

Whitey just smiled and walked around them to open his door. "Feel free to call Dan and ask him. Other than that, get out of my locker room and away from my gym. You two are toxic to any team building effort," he said, walking out before they could say another word.

Nathan stormed out of the gym with Lucas right behind him. The cheerleaders stopped mid cheer, watching as the two Scott brothers stormed across the hardwood floor and out the main door. "Wait up, man" Lucas yelled, slowing his younger brother in his tracks. "If you are calling the anti-Christ to find out what the hell is going on, I want to listen in." Nathan shrugged his shoulders as he flipped his cell phone out and hit the speed dial for his dad's office. "Whatever. I don't know what crack Whitey is smoking but there is no way that my dad agreed to those terms," he said, waiting for his dad's secretary to pick up. Lucas listened for a few moments, jumping back when Nathan slammed his phone shut and cursed.

"That doesn't sound good. What'd he say?" Lucas asked, not sure if he wanted to know after seeing Nathan's reaction. Nathan opened the door to his SUV and paused. "Oh he couldn't take the call because he wasn't in the office," Nathan explained, his voice heavy with an emotion that Lucas couldn't identify. "He wasn't in his office because he's at your mom's Café."

Luke's stomach dropped, completely unable to comprehend why Dan Scott was with his mother in the middle of the day. He stood there, gapping until he felt something whack him on the arm. Looking up, Luke saw Nathan motioning to his passenger seat. "Get in, we're going to get to the bottom of this."

* * *

Brooke dropped her pom poms beside the bleachers and grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat off her face. They'd run through all their routines three times apiece, perfecting each moment and position. She watched in silence as the rest of the team meandered off, some to take showers and others seeking escape from Task Master Brooke's critical eye.

Grabbing her water bottle, she closed her eyes and ran through a list of possible places she could crash for the night. Her mom and Trey was going to be gone for a week or so, that would buy her some time, but she hated being in the same house with him before he left on a trip. There would be the inevitable money meeting, where he'd go over all the cash she'd need for the time they'd be gone. Trey always used that as an excuse to get her alone in his home office, where he'd run his eyes over her body like the last stripper at a bachelor party.

He always found some excuse to touch her shoulder or the small of her back. Just thinking about it caused chills to course through her small frame. As bad as it was, the office visits were always better than when he spontaneously appeared in her room. There was such a predatory nature about her stepfather, one that she was at a loss to describe.

Shaking her head, she realized that it was pointless to worry about what might happen. All she had to do was find another place to stay, so she could avoid him all together. Her mother never cared where she was or if she came home, and it was just easier to not sleep in her own house than to find ways to avoid her step father while there. Hearing a noise, she turned and found Peyton standing behind her.

"Hey Pey," she neutrally greeted the blonde girl, trying to keep a level tone in her voice. She knew this was her best friend, but lately they'd been drifting apart. Brooke didn't feel that she could really talk to Peyton about how bad things were getting at home, and that silence just seemed to encourage more distance.

"Are you waiting for the guys to finish showering so you can wear them out too?" her comment was meant to be a joke regarding the harsh cheerleader work outs they'd all endured lately, but there was a mean edge to it, a connotation that Brooke was looking to do more than work out with the varsity team.

Brooke's shoulders stiffened, knowing that she'd engaged in plenty of sex in the past and that such comments were commonplace around school. But she'd always been honest about the guy she was targeting and hearing her best friend make sly comments about her sexual prowess was a bit too much. "No, I've got a more selective focus on who I do these days," she carelessly replied, not caring what gauntlet she was throwing down. Peyton's interest in Lucas went from hot to cold and no one else in school was willing to actively go after Lucas while her friend occasionally showed interest in the lanky ball player.

Dropping her bag, Peyton's eyes narrowed at her friend's words. "Yeah, the entire school knows whose next on your "to do" list, Brooke. Between the party on Friday and lunch today, the entire school is talking about you two."

Brooke stalked over to where the skinny blonde stood and straightened her shoulders. She'd done nothing wrong with Lucas. And while she knew that there was a ton of sexual tension, he'd not even tried to kiss her. Yet. "And so what if the entire school is talking? I'm allowed to hang out and talk with any guy that I want. Lucas is fair game," she said, her voice dropping to a sultry low tone to convey her stake in Lucas.

Tossing her shiny curls, Peyton shot her a level, distant glare. "Lucas didn't even know you were at the party Friday night until I blew him off," she asserted, getting closer to Brooke with each cruel word. "Aren't you afraid you won by default?"

Brooke's heart constricted a moment, knowing that there was some truth in her friend's vicious words. "Maybe if you'd down the latter we wouldn't be having this discussion at all," she countered, disgusted by the games Peyton played with Lucas. "And stop acting like a virgin, we both know your score card is as long as mine."

Peyton toyed with her own water bottle a moment, before putting it in her work out bag. "Let's face it, Brooke. Lucas likes nice girls. And sooner or later he's going to realize that you are the kind of girl that guys have fun with, but that they don't date."

She spun around and stalked across the gym, the heels of her boots tapping an erratic staccato beat across the shiny wood floor. Brooke silently watched her go, allowing the tears she'd been fighting to break free from her stoic eyes. "I guess that means staying at Peyton's is off the list," she muttered to herself, as she bent over to retrieve her own gym bag. Wiping her eyes, Brooke straightened her back and held her head up. She might be a slut, but she was a proud one.

* * *

Thanks for all the great replies! I really love reading them and what you think about the story and the characters. I hope to post more often. I'm forgetting to post!! Thanks for reading.

* * *


	12. Chapter 12

Thanks for the great replies.

* * *

A Season In Purgatory

Chapter 11

* * *

Dan moved his eyes toward the Café's door. He could practically feel every tick of the clock, knowing that Whitey was more than likely having a talk with both boys at that very moment.

Dan dropped his coffee cup and looked at Karen in concern. "Okay, I'm officially nervous. I can admit that," he voiced, wondering how she could appear so relaxed. Their plan was deceptively simple but both Karen and Dan knew their sons could be totally unpredictable. Karen, on the other hand, moved about the café, dealing with servers and customers like it was a normal afternoon.

She smiled at him, catching a rare moment of vulnerability in his eyes. Karen felt her heart constrict, remember days from the past when they were much closer and shared every battle life threw at them. She wanted to be fair with him, but at the same time she felt slightly panicked at the notion of softening her heart towards him again. "Small steps, Dan," she gently reminded, laying a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Besides, we aren't even certain that they will both show up here together."

Dan smiled at her, knowing that Whitey's bombshell would lead the boys to one location. "I know they are both too stubborn to let this go. Nathan has probably already called my office to make sure that I agreed to this punishment. I told my secretary to tell Nathan that I was here. If Nate's not with Lucas for that call, then he'll probably find him, if only to compare notes about what's going on."

Karen nodded, seeing the logic in his thought process. She started to comment but was interrupted as the door the Café flew open, revealing both Nathan and Lucas. They hovered in the doorway, momentarily stunned at seeing both of their parents together.

Lucas stood in the doorway, silently assessing the image of his mother's hand on Dan Scott's shoulder. Karen sheepishly pulled her hand away, her son's accusing glance burning a hole in her.

Ignoring the interested gazes of all the Café's customers, Nathan stalked over to where his father sat. "Has Whitey finally gone insane or did you encourage him to kick us out of practice?" Nathan asked, not the least bit hesitant to confront his father in public.

Lucas numbly followed his half brother across the Café, his thoughts a swirling tempest of fear and rage. "Mom?" he asked, finally breaking his silence, though Karen noticed the suspicious look didn't leave his very blue eyes. She glanced over at Dan's very blue eyes, suddenly lost as she realized that all three men had the same eyes, a biological connection that she'd avoided making for her son's entire life. Lost in time, she made a mental comparison of the three, noting that Dan and his sons also had the same shoulder hunch as well as the same defiant aura about them. So many little details and similarities that she'd prevented Luke from knowing about himself.

Dan looked over at her expectantly, causing her to break her eyes away from her son and his brother. "I win," he blandly stated, sticking his hand out toward Karen, palm up. Karen reached into her pocket and reluctantly slipped him a five-dollar bill. Lucas' temper began to flare. "I'm glad the two of you find this…" he hesitated trying to find the right word…"affair so amusing".

Frowning, Dan noticed how Karen blanched at their son's…her son's words. "I think you both need to calm down and show a little respect," Dan harshly commented, even as he was cut off by a snort of derision from his older boy.

"Dan Scott lecturing us about respect? That would be funny if it weren't so pathetic," Luke glibly replied, not the least bit cowed by Dan's attempted parental ton. Dan shot Karen a quick look, realizing that Lucas wasn't exactly open to fatherly lectures.

Karen decided this attitude had gone on long enough. "Lucas, I don't particularly like your surly tone," she admonished, not wanting to down dress her son in front of Dan and Nathan. "As for your coach's actions, the three of us made a nonnegotiable decision. If you want to fight during school activities, we'll remove you from those activities."

Dan nodded in approval of Karen's words. "Nathan, you are destroying any chance of getting a scholarship to play ball in college." Dan's eyes reluctantly shifted to Lucas. "And I don't know what your plans are, but you won't accomplish much brawling your way through the season," he added, trying to force a foreign gentleness into his voice. Despite his attempts to be kind, he could see the anger in Luke's eyes.

Lucas touched his heart in mock hurt. "You don't know my plans?" he asked, his voice filled with fake hurt. He instantly snapped back into his sarcastic mode. "You knowing nothing about me and my life is not news." He spun around and pointed at Karen. "I don't know what is going on, but don't think he ever has a right to lecture me," Lucas bitterly spat at his mother, furious for her participation in this farce.

Ignoring the curious stares of both her customers and Nathan, Karen walked around the counter to face her angry son. She gently grabbed his finger and calmly spoke. "Lucas, don't tell me what I will and won't do. And I'd suggest you reconsider where you point that finger," she added, not liking her son's hate filled expression.

Dan gave Karen a tight smile of support. "Lectures aside, you two have to learn to get along. Not just because you are teammates, but because you're brothers," Dan quietly finished.

Astonishment covered both boys' faces, as they shared a shocked glance at one another. Nathan turned his attention back toward his father a moment, before speaking. "He's not my brother. You've always said that," he finished, his voice nearly filled with the panic of a man on his deathbed realizing he's subscribed to the wrong god.

Dan tiredly waved his youngest son's protests off. "Then I've always been wrong," Dan softly admitted, daring to glance over at Lucas. The boy stood stock still, his upset and confused face speaking volumes as he stared back and forth between Karen and Dan.

Sighing, Dan continued. "The past is the past. And now you two need to learn to stop fighting."

Lucas angrily cut the older man off. "For your sake and peace of mind?" Dan considered Luke's words a moment, hearing the pain and accusation of years of neglect in the boy's voice.

"No," Dan clarified. "For your sake. And for yours, Nathan. This hatred has gone on for too many years."

Nathan leaned against the counter, his understanding of the world spinning out of control. Nathan's brow furled in confusion. "So you're promoting brotherly love by getting us kicked off the team?"

Lucas leaned in, not wanting to miss out on this. Karen took over for Dan, who looked a bit discombobulated after his declaration that the boys were in fact brothers. "Dan, Whitey and I have determined that for every game or practice you two disrupt, you'll miss the next two days of team events, be it games or practice. For every new offense, your time away from the team will be doubled."

Shaking his head, Nathan turned his anger from Karen to Dan. "I can't miss any games. It will kill my point total," he complained, wondering who this woman was trying to order him around.

Dan shifted his large frame, meeting his younger son's eyes squarely. "Then I'd suggest you not start anything with Lucas. Whitey will be a fair judge of what constitutes a disruption."

Lucas stamped his worn tennis show against the Café's floor in a near childish tantrum. "So what, we spend the next two days doing penance for acting out the hate you have spawned?" Lucas asked, more of Dan than his beloved mother. He was beyond angry, his mind and body growing cold, numb and hyper analytical.

Karen could tell Lucas was shutting them all out, the distance already showing in the tone of his voice and the hardness of his eyes.

"No. You'll both work here to keep you busy and to reinforce that there are worse things than playing basketball together," Dan revealed, watching as shock spread over both boys' faces.

Nathan looked around the small Café, his nose wrinkling up in disdain. "Work?" he repeated, the concept a foreign one to a boy raised in wealth. "Work here for two days?" he questioned, still at a loss for words.

Karen ignored the boy's disrespectful glance around her quaint café, realizing that he was the product of Dan's relentless ambition. She turned toward Dan, an amused expression on her face.

"He's right, Dan," Karen continued. "It's not fair to have them both working for me for two days. I think they should help you out at the dealership tomorrow," she sweetly suggested, ignoring the murderous look in her son's eyes. While Luke found it awfully amusing to think about Nathan doing manual labor bussing tables in his mom's cafe, he was not the slightly bit interested in forced servitude at Dan's dealership.

Dan choked back a laugh at the boys' reaction. "Oh, great idea, Kar," he said, noticing how Luke's shoulders tensed up at Dan's use of such a personal nickname. "I've got an endless stream of cars that they can wash." He continued to watch his oldest son with mild curiosity. He might not know a lot about the boy but he knew Lucas would make a horrible poker player. At that moment, Luke couldn't begin to conceal how much he hated his father.

Lucas glanced up and caught Dan assessing him, which made his anger grow even more. "I'd just as soon show up naked for a game as to work for you," he spit out, his vitriolic words effortlessly streaming out.

Dan nodded to Karen, as he picked up his keys and headed toward the door. He slowed as he passed Lucas. "We'll have to see if that naked thing generates traffic and brings in a younger demographic. Great idea, Luke," he said, only half joking, as he gave the boy's shoulder a brief pat before disappearing out the door. Luke remained frozen for a second, and then let his hand travel toward the shoulder that Dan had touched.

Karen silently handed Nathan an apron, and prepared herself for a long afternoon. She'd be lucky if she had any customers left with two nasty boys working the evening shift. She slowly approached Lucas, who remained silent, staring out the door at Dan's retreating figure. She reached up and gently touched her son's cheek, noting the rough facial hair that signaled her little boy was growing up. Lucas suddenly jerked back, as if her hands were scalding hot. "Leave me alone, mom," he sadly stated, before snatching an apron off the counter and stalking off.


	13. Chapter 13

As always, I don't own OTH. Loved all the replies for the last chapter. Thanks for reading!!

* * *

A Season In Purgatory

Chapter 12

* * *

The bell on the door jingled softly as Dan hesitantly walked through the Café's entrance. It was near closing time and most of the customers were finishing up their meals. Dan nonchalantly glanced around, seeing his younger son in a corner, suspiciously close to his tutor. Nathan saw Dan approaching over Haley's slight shoulder, and a frown covered his otherwise happy features.

Looking around, Dan saw no sign of Lucas or his mother. His shoulders relaxed a fraction, knowing that Nathan's anger paled in comparison to that of his other son. He'd debated having Nathan walk home from the Café rather than picking him up. Dan was so used to avoiding Lucas that it was almost second nature to think of a plan that evaded interaction. But times had changed, he reminded himself. The entire point of this punishment was to get both boys used to each other and their environments. Dan couldn't tell Nathan to play nice with Lucas when he himself avoided the boy. He had to accept the fact that he avoided Lucas because he'd created an unpleasant environment, both for his sons and their parents. The more time he spent around Lucas, the easier it would be for all of them. Dan had to start somewhere and the Café was the perfect place: small and public. It would be hard for the boy to avoid him there and yet it was still public enough to avoid screaming fits. He looked up, realizing he needed to deal with Nathan first.

Nathan's sudden scowl confused Haley, who'd been explaining the finer points of refilling ketchup bottles when his expression had turned stormy. She turned around and saw Dan slowly making his way toward them.

Dan took in the food-stained apron his son wore and weighed his words carefully. "I take it that you survived a hard day of manual labor?" he questioned, knowing by Nate's scowl that his son was furious at him.

"I might as well get used to low paying jobs since you're trying to kill my future in basketball," Nathan snarked, still fuming about his dad's decision to kick him out of practice. Haley stood uneasily between them, trying to figure out if she should find some excuse to go into the kitchen.

Dan shrugged his shoulders at his son's words. "All you have to do is stopping fighting with your brother and you'll be fine," Dan reminded him, taking every opportunity to remind Nate of his blood tie to Lucas. He avoided Nathan's scowl and looked around the small Café. "Is Lucas in the kitchen or did you kill him and stuff his body in the oven?"

Staying her ground, Haley motioned toward the back, trying to get the two men to stop sending death looks at each other. "Lucas is making a delivery right now. Karen's in back, I'll go get her," she offered, giving Nathan a look of pity before taking off for the kitchen.

Nathan glanced at the table in the corner, checking to see if they were okay on drinks, before turning his attention back to his father. "I can't believe your schizophrenic behavior," he muttered, trying to keep his voice low, out of respect for those people trying to eat. "You've spent 16 years telling me that Lucas was not my brother and wasn't part of our family, and now all of a sudden you want us to bond?"

Dan lowered his gaze at his son's furious words. He honestly couldn't blame Nathan for being confused. He was similarly torn over his own past actions toward his oldest son. But seeing the anger in both sons' eyes during that game had driven the point home to Dan. He had to do something to stop this violence. Their hatred was killing any chance of a future that either boy had and he wanted it to end. Not to mention that it had been Deb's dying wish…to see Dan make peace with Karen and his estranged son. She had not wanted Nathan to grow up an only child when he had an older brother across town. Shaking his head, Dan forced himself away from memories of the past. He was doing his best, and the past would have to be content with his new found effort.

"Nathan, I'm doing what's right. I'm doing what I should have done years ago. I know it will take time, but I just want you to try to get to know your brother," Dan urged, trying to keep his voice from rising. "For your mother…" Nathan's gaze immediately left his father's face, his anger mounting.

"Don't mention my mother," Nathan firmly replied. "We never talk about her in general, so don't tell me what she'd want me to do with Lucas." He abruptly turned away, not wanting anyone to see him tearing up. A movement caught his eye and Nathan looked up to see Haley watching him from the kitchen. She gave him a short, encouraging smile before disappearing behind the swinging door.

Nathan sighed and turned back to face his father. "You've already blackmailed me into being here, so leave it alone. Both you and his mother know that we'd do anything to avoid missing basketball. So consider us 'friends'," Nathan blandly replied, knowing he'd avoid Lucas unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Good. And by the way, "his mother's" name is Karen and I'd suggest you be nice to her," Dan murmured as the woman in question approached wearily approached them. He turned toward Karen with a slight smile on his face. She was a brave woman to withstand working with two such sullen boys.

"I see stains so that must mean he actually did something tonight," he joked, fully aware that Nathan appreciated his sharp sense of humor as little as his brother did. Karen smiled hesitantly at them both. Dan retreated, knowing he'd pushed Nathan as far as he could for the night. Now all he could do was lead by example and that meant he had to try to make amends to his first-born son.

"There was no bloodshed," she calmly replied, noting Nathan's hurt expression. She turned toward Dan and attempted to clarify. "Nathan did a really great job, Dan. He turned out to be a great busboy."

The door slammed behind them and Lucas stomped through the doorway, passing them without acknowledgement or a backward glance. Karen watched as he moved behind the counter, stuffing the money from his delivery order into the cash register. He glanced over at the three of them in disdain for a moment before silently moving off to a table in the back corner.

Dan watched as the boy moved through the Café without a spare glance around him, noting that while his shoulders were tight with defiance, the rest of him was distant and removed. Lucas pulled his back pack off his shoulder and pulled out a text book. Dan took in everything about the boy, from the way he intently studied his book to the way he gently tapped his foot against the floor. His gazed moved toward Karen, who watched their son in concern.

Nathan hesitated, not wanting to talk anymore, but also wanting to get back to his discussion with Haley. "I'm going to help Haley in back," he said, realizing that neither adult was paying any attention to him, as they gazed at St. Lucas in the back corner. He spun around to leave, but stopped when he heard someone calling his name from the front door.

Dropping the door behind her, Brooke breathlessly approached the group. "Nate, I need to know if I can crash at your place tonight?" she asked, seeing no need to slow her request down by meaningless greetings to the adults. Nathan's eyebrows raised a fraction in concern, seeing the dark circles under her eyes. Brooke usually had a good reason for avoiding home. During the divorce, her parents' fights were legendary among the country club elite, but lately she seemed to have more nights at his house with fewer explanations. Dan interrupted his son before he could issue the standard invitation to spend the night.

"Brooke, Nate's grounded for the rest of the week, so he can't have any visitors," Dan stated, knowing that he'd already let Nate have a party after the fight. It was too late to cancel a preplanned party, but he'd be damned if Nathan acted like being grounded was a joke. Dan watched as something akin to panic clouded the girl's green eyes, but she managed a smile.

"Oh, I see. Well, thanks anyway," her voice warbled out, even as she pasted her homecoming queen smile on her face. Brooke had never known Dan to ever enforce any punishment on his son for more than a day or so. She knew by the simple fact that Nathan was apparently working in Karen's restaurant that something was up, but Dan's reiteration of his son's grounding was even more proof that seismic shifts were taking place. Her eyes wandered over to the woman standing next to Dan and she realized this must be Luke's much talked about mother.

Not wanting to alienate the woman, Brooke sweetly smiled at her. "Hi! I'm Brooke," she offered, sticking her hand out to the woman in front of her. Karen slowly looked at Brooke, assuming she was one of Nathan's girlfriends. She gradually took the girl's outstretched hand, resisting the urge to ask her why she'd rather stay at Nathan's house than her own.

Instead, an awkward silence descended on the group, leaving even Brooke lost for words.

Looking up, she spotted Lucas sitting alone at a table in the back of the room. Her face brightened considerably. "Oh, I need to go ask Lucas about some homework," she offered, giving them all a short smile before gracefully stalking off to where the blond boy sat. Nathan's eyebrow rose a fraction of an inch; he was skeptical that Brooke ever concerned herself with completing homework, let alone seeking out help with it.

Muttering his own excuses, Nathan quickly made his way toward the back, seeking out Haley's company. Dan watched his son slink off and then turned to Karen. "Should I ask how bad it's been?" He might as well get a feel for how tense things would be at the dealership the next day.

Karen leaned back against the counter and tried to relax. It had been a very trying night with both Nathan and Lucas sniping at each other. "Well, Lucas has opted to take every delivery we've had tonight, and he's taken twice the usual time to make them as normal. Nathan has broken several place settings of dishes while spending all his time following Haley around," Karen summarized. She'd been irked by her son's attitude for most of the night, but she was trying to be tolerant. Lucas had to be shocked at Dan's sudden entry into his life. Her son's personality had always leaned toward pensive and deep consideration, and Karen understood that it would take time for him to let his guard down around his brother and father. Sighing, she meet Dan's concerned gaze. "I just wish that we had done things different when they were younger."

Dan watched as Brooke made her way over to where his oldest son sat and curiously studied the sullen boy. "Does he have teeth? Because I don't think I've ever seen him smile," Dan noted, realizing the closest he'd ever seen the boy to happy was on the basketball court.

"Oh he smiles, just not around you," Karen snarked. Dan lowered his gaze, realizing that he was one of the main reasons that Lucas was distant with outsiders. "Okay. I deserved that," he admitted, knowing that this entire plan was doomed to fail. He had so many amends to make. "I just don't know how to handle him, Kar. He's so different from me."

Karen stared at him a moment, wondering whether she should be mean and his feed his angst and guilt or if she should try to help. Dan was taking some tentative steps and she could appreciate how difficult that was for him. "I wouldn't say that he's totally different from you. He's quiet and thoughtful, but he's also very determined and focused. And he gets his relentless ambition from you."

Dan soaked up her words, realizing that she could have been a lot less positive with her comments. He turned his attention toward the back of the Café, where the figure of his sullen son and Brooke currently sat, heads together in a conspiratorial manner.

* * *

Replies are always appreciated and usually remind me to post new chapters. Up next: Brooke and Lucas "study", Karen and Dan talk and Naley fret.


	14. Chapter 14

Love your replies! Thanks for taking a few minutes to let me know what you think of the chapters. If there's any interest, I can post another chapter over the holidays.

* * *

A Season In Purgatory  
Chapter 13

* * *

Lucas felt a shadow move over him as he read for his physics class in the back of the Café. It had been a wasted effort in that his mind was too busy racing with the events of the day. Run ins with Dan always left Lucas discombobulated and confused. In the past, seeing or talking to his father felt like someone had a hold of his heart and was squeezing it, like a pressurized pain in his chest that made it hard to think or react to the man. But with basketball bringing them together more frequently, Lucas' discombobulation and hurt had turned to anger. It was a red-hot fury that burned with great intensity whenever the man was in the same room with him. Nathan had the same, if faded affect on Lucas. He was a pale imitation of the man that Lucas hated, so Nathan wasn't deserving of his intense hatred but rather a vague dislike.

And the idea that his mom was forcing him to associate with both Nathan and Dan made Lucas even angrier. The words on the page blurred in front of him as his hurt and confusion grew.

"You're going to get wrinkles if you keep scowling like that, handsome," Brooke murmured as she slid in the booth across from him. Lucas looked up in confusion, having been completely lost in his contemplations of hatred that he'd not heard anyone approach him. A smile quickly replaced his scowl and he was genuinely pleased to see someone for the first time that night.

"I can honestly say that I'm happy to see you," he said, emphasizing the "you" part as he looked around the room to see if Nathan and Dan had left yet. He couldn't help but feel territorial, seeing them all over his home away from home. Not to mention how he'd had to suffer through Nathan drooling over Haley all night and his mother coddling him through normal chores like washing dishes. He shook his head and refocused on Brooke. "I hope your day has been better than mine," he offered, taking her rumpled appearance.

She shrugged her shoulders in response to his words. "I'm just waiting for the end of the day, end of the week…" she said, her voice growing wistful at the idea of just getting the hell away from her so called family. Looking up, she noticed him staring at her in something akin to concern. "But on a happier note, how are you holding up?" she asked, motioning toward Dan. She watched as his shoulders tensed up and his frown returned.

"I'm grounded for a week for fighting during the game, and then another week for coming home Friday night after curfew. No television, no car, no cell," he bitterly replied, his voice and his visage showing the annoyance he clearly felt. "Oh and just for fun my mom decided to band together with Dan in order to get us kicked out of practice for two days, during which I get to work with Dan."

Brooke's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow. Your parents' speaking to each other is kind of shocking, but them working together is nothing short of…cataclysmic." She couldn't remember a time that her parents had even noticed she wasn't at home, let alone take the time to lecture or ground her for doing something 'wrong'. Brooke wasn't sure that her parents even knew what was right and what was wrong. God knows, they weren't the center of anyone's moral universe.

"Nice word," he muttered, his eyes still boring a hole in an oblivious Dan Scott. Even from across the room he could see the relaxed curve of his mother's shoulders. At least one of them was comfortable with the creep. Lucas just didn't understand where Karen's new found comfort level with Dan was coming from.

She tensed at his comment. "I'm not stupid, you know." It was a natural reaction after years of people assuming she was stupid because she was a cheerleader with a great body.

Lucas frowned, realizing by her tone that she was hurt. "No, I meant that it's just a really good word to describe the situation. I myself have been using 'fucked up'. So, I think your words wins," he explained, reaching over to grab her small hand. He gently rubbed it for a moment, realizing how small and soft it was. He felt himself relaxing for the first time that night.

Brooke practically glowed at the reaction the small gesture sent through her. "Well, I'm glad you like it. Besides, I told your mother that I was coming over here to ask you a homework question," she revealed, motioning toward his book. "Maybe we should make this look legit." He turned the textbook so that they could both look at it, smiling at her ability to maneuver around his mother.

She sneaked a look over at the counter and apprised the older couple that stood there chatting in what she could only describe as a conspiratorial manner. Something was definitely up with those two, but she didn't want to speculate as to what. "They must have been a really cute couple," she blurted out; nearly shocked she had voiced those words out loud.

Lucas looked over at Dan and Karen in shock. He'd never really considered them as anything other than adversaries, two people who couldn't translate dating into parenthood. Shaking his head, Lucas stared at Brooke. "I can't imagine them as a couple but I found this album a few months ago…" his voice trailed off.

She gave his hand an encouraging squeeze. "What album?" she gently asked, knowing that Lucas hated to talk about his family. She watched his deep blue eyes cloud over with doubt for a moment, as he stared back at her.

"It was like a collection of their dating years. All sorts of school pictures and pictures of them at various parties and family events," he told her, confusion dripping from his words. "I just never imagined them so…"

She picked up where he trailed off. "So young and in love?" He nodded at her, looking down at the shiny surface of the tabletop. "I don't see how you could love someone and then walk away from them as if they were dirt." Lucas didn't need anyone to tell him that they were in love. That much was obvious from the way the two looked at each other in all those pictures.

Brooke understood his pain so very well. "Yeah, I know the feeling," she admitted, not wanting him to see the embarrassment in her eyes. Gaining courage from the way he held her hand, she finally met his eyes. "Lucas, sometimes parents just suck. It's not a commentary on you as a person or as a child, but on them. Dan isn't horrible. He's been pretty good to me over the years, but his lack of contact with you isn't your fault, it's his."

Obviously choked up, Lucas slowly nodded at her words. "I tell myself that. But every time I see Dan with Nathan, it just reminds me that I wasn't good enough to be his son. And it doesn't stop me from thinking that I screwed up my mom's life just by being born." It was if Lucas had spent his entire life looking in from the outside at Dan and Nathan and their indifference hurt, especially in light of how deeply it effected him.

Brooke nodded silently, agreeing with both the pain of abandonment she heard in his voice and pain from knowing that your parents just didn't care. "I understand how you feel. I sometimes think my grandparents paid my mom to get pregnant, just so they'd have another generation to run the family empire," she said, realizing that she and Lucas had a lot of things in common. Sighing, she looked over and noticed Karen staring at her in an apprising manner. "I think your mom is getting a bit irate."

Lucas made a fake motion toward his physics book and muttered under his breath. "I'm surprise she could take a break from plotting with her friend to spare us a thought." He looked down at their intertwined hands and wanted to find words that could give them both comfort. "Well, I'm pretty much out of the social picture for the next few weeks," he paused, not sure how to phrase this. He shyly looked at her and smiled in a way that warmed her heart. "Do you think we could do something together when I'm ungrounded? You know, kind of like a real date?"

She smiled at him in return, a huge grin that made her dimples stand out even more. "Yeah, I'd really like that, Lucas. If we both survive the next few days, that is. Do you and Nathan have to work together tomorrow?"

Lucas closed his physics book with a bit more force than necessary. "Oh tomorrow is a special treat. I get to go to work at Dan's dealership, for that extra bit of torture for my punishment." He was still so mad at his mother that he couldn't think straight. He'd never felt such a deep anger toward her before and the strength of it nearly scared him. And the idea that he'd be at Dan's mercy for an entire evening was too much for Lucas to deal with. The man had no right to tell him what to do or order him around.

Brooke sat back in the booth, a bit stunned at that piece of information. "Wow. They really are thinking this madness through, aren't they? Well, I guess you and Nathan won't be taking swings at each other." In a way, she was relieved that the threat of no basketball might calm the two boys down. She was already worried about trying to date a guy that her best friend hated.

He thought about her words for a moment before answering. "Not unless the jerk totally gets in my face. And even then, I'm not sure that hitting him is worth having to put up with Dan."

Sighing, he realized that it was finally late enough that he could attempt to weasel out of this nightmare and go home. He looked over at her in confusion. "Did you come here to see me?" Not that he wanted to question why she was with him, but Brooke wasn't exactly a Café kind of girl.

She avoided his eyes for a moment before answering. "Actually, I called around and found out that Nathan was here. I needed a place to crash tonight and his guest room is my home away from home," she lightly commented, hoping that he wasn't incensed by the mention of his half brother's name. She and Nathan had been friends for years and Lucas had to learn to deal with that.

Lucas looked confused. "Why do you need a place to crash?" The panicked look in her eyes confirmed his fears that something was definitely wrong at her house, but he couldn't read the specifics just yet.

Brooke looked away, not wanting Lucas to know just how screwed up her life was. If her own dad didn't want to spend time with her, what made her think a guy like Lucas would want her if knew all the dirt about her life. "Uhm, things are just kind of bad right now, what with the new step father and all. Some days it's just easier to not go home than to go home and face that kind of pain," she admitted, looking up and finding nothing but compassion in his eyes.

Lucas subtly nodded toward where his mother still stood with Dan. "Yeah I know the feeling. I'd do just about anything to get out of going home and having to listen to her rationalize what she's done to me."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment before he looked at her. "So are you going to crash with Nathan?" She gave a weak shake of her heard, dismissing the idea. "Seems like Dan Scott has finally decided to enforce a grounding for once in his life," she revealed, still shocked that Dan was sticking to it. "I guess I'll just hang out in my car until tomorrow morning."

Lucas moved his book from the table and slid it into his backpack. Her words suddenly caused him to look back up at her. "Stay in your car? You can't be seriously thinking about sleeping in your car, Brooke?"

She shrugged her shoulders and tried to play off his concern. "I've done worse before, Lucas. I had a fight with Peyton and I can't stay there. Nathan's off the list now and that means none of my regular spots are free tonight," she blithely replied, not wanting him to think she was freaky. She caught the concern in his eyes and placed a hand on his shoulder to reassure him. "Lucas, I can sleep in my car for a night. I've done it a couple of times before when my parents were fighting all night long. I just drive around until I find a clean parking lot in a brightly lit area." All she needed to do was put her back seat down and curl up under a few blankets. The blankets not only blocked out the light but they made it hard to tell that anyone was sleeping in the car, as well.

Lucas shook his head in disagreement. "No, you are not sleeping in a parking lot where any homeless person could snatch you." He glanced around and found his mother still totally distracted by Dan. He turned back to her. "You'll stay with me tonight. Just wait until 11pm and softly walk across the side porch to my door. I'll leave the door unlocked and you can slip in after my mom's asleep."

Brooke wasn't one to make public displays of affection, but she threw her arms around Lucas and gave him an intense hug. "Thank you for caring enough that I have a safe place to sleep, Luke." She hated being so needy, but at the same time she didn't have a lot of options available. Something was building at home and she didn't want to be there when it all exploded.

Nathan peeked around the corner and watched as his best friend put her arms around his estranged half brother. "I can't believe she's…. hugging him," he snarked, his brows growing closer together in consternation. Haley peered around Nathan and watched as Lucas slowly reached over and brushed his hand against her check. She leaned back against the kitchen wall and shook her head in disbelief. "Lucas is never touchy feely like that. I mean, in the entire 9 years we've been best friends I have never seen him act so goofy."

Nathan took in the bright smile on Brooke's face. "Brooke's never that happy. I mean, she doesn't smile that much when she's cheering." He knew she was having a hard time lately, what with her parents getting remarried, but he hated to see her repeat old patterns of behavior. She'd started drinking regularly after her mom got remarried. In fact, Nathan was hard pressed to remember a party that Brooke hadn't been drinking or flat out wasted. It seemed that the more distant she grew from her parents, the more guys she slept with. He just didn't want his friend to get hurt by a loser like Lucas.

Picking up a pitcher of Coke, he shoved it at Haley. "Go get them drinks. Do something to break this up before something bad happens to Brooke," he urged her, desperate to find any way to get Brooke alone. He knew she had to be upset if she was looking for a place to spend the night. Maybe he could pull Dan aside and ask him to reconsider letting her stay the night.

Haley seemed taken aback by his meaning. "Before he hurts Brooke? What about before Brooke decimates his heart?" she asked, not happy that Nathan always painted Lucas out to be the bad guy. Haley pointed through the order window. "They're leaving. Get out there and stop her from leaving with him."

They pushed through the kitchen door and interrupted Dan and Karen who were still deep in conversation. Haley noticed that Lucas had already opened the Café's main door for Brooke, while Karen was oblivious to his attempts to leave. Haley took a deep breath and called out to him. "Lucas, are you leaving?"

Karen looked up immediately, making eye contact with her escaping son. "Lucas, I wasn't aware that you could come and go as you pleased," she noted, stepping back into her authoritarian role. He paused, still holding the door open for Brooke, who hesitated at the tone of Karen's voice. Her own mother, while shrill, could not match the sheer smack down tone that Karen was copping at that moment.

Lucas rolled his eyes toward Brooke, before letting the door close and stalking back toward his mother. "Not that it rivals torturing me with their presence, but I have a physics test tomorrow and if I don't go study, it's a fairly good bet that I'm going to fail it." Getting less than an A, failing. It was all relative and his mom didn't need to know that he'd already studied enough to pass the test.

Karen's eyes narrowed at his tone and his choice of words. "If you have a test, where's your syllabus?" she questioned, sticking her hand out for proof of his test date. Lucas brusquely shouldered his way past Dan and dropped his backpack on the counter with a thud, riffling through a folder until he found his class outline. "This good enough or do you need to call Ms. Harris and ask her if I forged the syllabus?"

Dan frowned at the boy's insolent tone but refrained from saying anything to Lucas about respecting his mother. He'd used that line earlier in the day and it hadn't gone over well. And while he and Karen were working together, she'd not given him any kind of signal that he should correct the boy's behavior.

Karen gave the document a quick once over, noting that there was in fact a test scheduled for the next day. "This is good enough for now. But next time I expect you to tell me you have homework at the beginning of a shift and ask for permission before you leave," she reminded him, restating rules that had been in place for as long as either of them could remember. Karen had structured every day of his life with rules, which was the only way she could get anything done as a single mother with a demanding business. Other parents might let their kids run wild, but Karen expected to know where Lucas was and what he was doing.

Lucas shoved the class outline back into his backpack and muttered under his breath. "Whatever. I'm going home to study some more."

Nathan looked at Brooke for a second but couldn't resist. "Brooke, I didn't know you were in physics. Isn't that kind of an advanced class for someone who hasn't had chemistry yet?" He had an innocent tone to his voice, but her eyes narrowed at such a blatant attempt to get Lucas into trouble for spending some of the night talking to her.

"What can I say, I'm a science girl," she sweetly replied to Dan and Karen, her tone not revealing her anger at Nathan's intrusion. She was still incredibly mad at him for blowing her off at lunch to spend time with tutor-girl. And she'd managed not to lie either. Karen looked at Dan with a knowing glint in her eyes. Brooke was more than likely a girl who excelled at biology, but Karen wasn't entirely sure about her academic skills.

Lucas shook his head in disgust. "Please, this coming from someone who made cow eyes at Haley all night," Lucas declared, finally having lost his temper. "You get to spend this experimentation in horror flirting with Haley and I have to spend all day tomorrow trapped with him," Lucas said, gesturing at Dan. "Can someone tell me how this is even remotely fair?"

Dan visibly flinched at his oldest son's words, while Nathan avoided Haley's attempts to pull him away from Lucas. "Well, I think you spent enough time flirting with Brooke Friday night. Oh, I meant when you weren't stealing a bottle of dad's most expensive scotch to get drunk, that is." Karen's eyes narrowed at Nathan's words, putting pieces of the puzzle together. "Well, at least I know why you came home four hours late from curfew," she offered, completely upset that her son was out late drinking. She knew that on some level she should be happy that he'd waited to sober up before driving home, but even that small thought was of little consolation.

Lucas crossed his arms and stared at Dan and Karen with a near rebellious look on his face. "Don't tell me, I'm grounded another week?"

Karen nodded at his words. "And if you keep up that tone, you'll not have a social life until you can legally drink," she added, staring pointedly at Brooke. While Karen understood his anger, she couldn't understand his sudden disregard for her long standing rules.

Dan watched as Lucas lowered his eyes, effectively ending a stand off with his mother. He tried not to think about the how much Luke's foraging had cost him, knowing how much that one case of scotch had set him back. Sighing, Dan realized that he could take some parenting tips from Karen. While Nate barely obeyed Dan's grounding, Lucas looked like he genuinely feared his mother's use of that particular punishment.

Lucas rolled his eyes at his mom's near hysterics. "I wasn't drunk, but you were having sex with Haley," he accused Nathan, hoping to obscure that night by bringing his friend into the situation.

Haley's eyes widened in shock, as half the people in the restaurant turned around to look at her like she was some kind of scarlet woman. "I was NOT having sex with him," she assured everyone in the room, not really sure why Lucas was so intent on humiliating her in public. "We were just going to his room so he could show me something," she explained, not certain why she felt the need to clarify her sex life to the entire room of customers.

Brooke stepped in between the two friends and shoved Haley's accusing finger out of the way. "Don't you have a slide rule to shove someplace, tutor girl?" She wasn't overly fond of Nate's new friend to begin with, but seeing her jump all over Lucas was too much for Brooke to take.

Lucas and Brooke gave each other a knowing smile at her words. "Oh yeah, Hales. I wonder what the guy wanted to show you in his bedroom," Lucas snarked, pleased to see that they'd finally gotten a reaction out of Dan.

"Nathan the rule is that you can't have parties at the beach house with alcohol. And you are supposed to keep everyone downstairs and away from the bedrooms. I can't believe you would let things get that out of control," Dan exclaimed, not pleased with all the liabilities he was now responsible for.

At the rate that insults were flying around the room, Dan decided to take a page out of Karen's rulebook, rather than let Nathan off the hook. "Nathan, you can consider yourself grounded another week. And there will be no more parties at the beach house for a very long time," he added, watching as Nathan scowled at Lucas in response. The two had effectively managed to rat each other out to no avail.

Nathan attempted to sputter out a response but Karen stepped into the middle of the group. "Lucas, go home and we'll discuss this situation after your test. Haley, go in back and fix two dinner specials to go. Nathan, thanks for your effort tonight, but your father is ready to take you home," she said, taking the apron he readily pulled off. She finally turned toward Brooke. "Brooke, it was nice to meet you. Don't get my son drunk again." Of course it was the girl that got her little boy drunk. That's the only way Karen could work her mind around the idea of Lucas drinking. She shooed everyone away before they could start snipping again.

Waiting for the crowd to disperse, Karen leaned back against the counter and looked at Dan with a hint of amusement in her eyes. "We should sell tickets to this and call it dinner theater," she observed, hearing him laugh even as she watched her son make his way across the street with that girl. "What's her story anyway?"

Dan sobered up a moment, considering Brooke and Luke's retreating figures. "She's Katherine Brooks' kid, you know from high school?" he prompted, getting lost in the tangle of married names that accompanied getting older.

Karen's eyes grew softer, instantly feeling sorry for any child born to that woman. "I'm surprised that her ovaries didn't shrivel up along with her heart from years of neglect," Karen retorted, not caring in the least that she was being bitchy. She and Katherine had never gotten along when they were in school. The girl had been a total snob and a complete bitch from day one. The Brooks' family was one of the most powerful families Tree Hill had ever seen and Katherine didn't hesitate to throw that fact in everyone's face.

Nodding, Dan had little use for the woman himself. The fact that as teens she'd often tried to lure him away from Karen hadn't helped matters. Katherine was a big fish in the small pond of Tree Hill and Dan had possessed the only ego large enough to match hers. She'd eventually gone away to some fancy school in South Carolina, where she'd ultimately met Brooke's father. The town of Tree Hill was relieved until they'd moved back to town in order to run their family's' mill businesses.

"Brookes been one of Nate's friends for years," he commented, not really sure what Karen wanted to know. He'd surreptitiously watched her and Lucas during the time they were together and he knew that there was a lot more than studying going on. He wasn't much of a matchmaker, but he could easily see that Nate was going after Lucas' best friend while Lucas was apparently going after Nathan's. Things were definitely getting messy. "She's a nice enough girl, but she's never gotten any attention at home. Deb used to say. . ." his words trailed off, as he looked uncertainly at Karen.

She reached over and gently touched his shoulder. "Dan, you were married to her for 8 years. I don't expect you not to mention her name or act like she never existed," she gently informed him, knowing that they were both having to adjust to this new relationship.

Dan's eyes remained down, suddenly finding the worn hard wood floors fascinating. He cleared his throat, trying to get back to the subject. "Well, she used to notice that while Brooke was immaculately dressed, that no one ever seemed to know where she was or if she was okay. We used to feed her all the time, just because it looked like she never got regular meals at home," he explained.

Shaking her head, Karen realized that some people just weren't cut out to be parents. "But as long as she had on expensive clothes and looked cute, that was where Katherine's job as a mother ended?" She'd always been furious at parents who dropped their kids off at the playground or the library without a second thought for their safety. She'd seen enough of that over the years to be sick of it.

"I think she had a nanny at one point, but with the parents not caring about her, I don't think the nanny really cared either. Eventually, she just started hanging out around the house more often, and even now she tends to crash there a couple of times a month. Nathan mentioned that before the divorce, her mom and dad were pretty violent. I think she just needed a quiet place to stay."

Considering his words, Karen frowned in concern. "Maybe that's why she asked Nathan if she could stay the night?"

Dan shrugged his shoulders. "We were at the country club last night and I thought I heard her step father mention a trip they were going on this week. Maybe she's just lonely," he speculated. "Either way, it's usually not a problem since we've got enough guest rooms and she's fairly quiet. I guess I'm not used to this boy/girl best friend thing." He was also feeling a bit guilty about denying her a place to stay if she had no one else at home. Dan hated being a parent at times, with all those rules and parental things he was no good at.

The sound of laughter floated out from the kitchen, causing the parents to turn toward the kitchen. "Oh things are so going to get bad," Karen expressed, realizing that Lucas was going to do everything he could to prevent Haley from seeing Nathan. And Haley seemed completely unaware that Nathan had a huge crush on her. She moved to pick up the take out order that Haley had placed in the order window and turned to hand it to Dan.

"What's this?" he questioned, trying to identify the various smells that were rising from the containers. All night he'd fought the urge to ask Karen for something to eat, not wanting to push her hospitality more than he already had. But he fondly recalled all the dinners she'd made for him when he was a kid and he couldn't help but miss real food. More often than not he picked up food from various take out places, as his attempts at cooking tended to be failures.

Karen felt nervous for some reason. "It's dinner. Though I have to wonder what you've been feeding Nate," she conversationally asked as she tucked various condiments and napkins into the bag for him.

"Um, food?" he replied, not sure what she was asking.

"Well, a customer asked him for another serving of broccoli and I found him at the stove, staring at all the green stuff, attempting to figure out what the vegetables were. Please tell me you aren't buying those frozen lasagnas at the store and calling it dinner?" she admonished, knowing that was all he'd ever attempted to cook when they were young. She took his silence as a guilty verdict. "Dan, those things are horrible. And your son can't identify common vegetables."

She made a rash decision, but one that she felt comfortable with. "I want you to start bringing Nathan here once a week for dinner. We tend to eat what's left over from the day's specials and that way Nathan won't have to resort to eating pop tarts for dinner."

Dan smiled at her gracious offer; warmed by the kindness she could offer him after years of his callous behavior and indifference. "Karen, we'd love to do that, but Lucas is bound to get upset," he rationalized, knowing that the boy had good reasons for not wanting to be around him.

"We want them to interact, Dan. And what better way than to eat meals together? I know Lucas is going to be upset, but I think that with time, he'll get used to your presence in his life and move on. He just needs to get some regular exposure to you and Nathan."

Dan nodded in agreement, but silently worried about Lucas in general. He'd be lucky if they could manage sharing a meal together without either a food fight breaking out or food being poisoned. Then he recalled Karen's words from early that day. "Tiny steps."

That's all they could for now.

* * *

Thanks for reading!


	15. Chapter 15

Thank you for all the wonderful chapter replies. They do so much to get me motivated to write. I can't tell you how nice it is to get short notes about the story, though longer ones are awesome! Warning: The next chapter contains some touchy/feely parts and a bit of groping. You've been warned!

* * *

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 14

* * *

Brooke grabbed her backpack from the passenger seat before locking the doors and heading down the sidewalk. She tried to stay inconspicuous, as inconspicuous as she could be walking around a quiet neighborhood in the middle of the night. After driving around Luke's neighborhood for 15 minutes, she'd realized that parking right outside his house might not be a good idea. She didn't know if Karen knew her car or not, but she didn't want to take any chances that someone would recognize her car and wonder why it was parked outside of Lucas Scott's house. Brooke had finally decided to leave her car two streets away, which would be a good enough distance to confuse any interested parties. She walked briskly, eyes constantly roving the shadows that threatened to overwhelm her even on a sunny day. Bad things came in the dark, she was all too aware of that. If the past had taught Brooke anything, it was that appearances were deceiving and you could never trust the illusion of safety.

She let her eyes linger on some of the houses as she made her way down his street, noting that most of the buildings were painfully small, if neatly kept. She passed yard after yard that gave clues about the families that owned them, swing sets for the established families, rocking chairs on the porches of the older residents. There was a hominess that pervaded the entire neighborhood, a sense of unity that her own expensive area of town couldn't compete with. Stopping, she read the address of the house in front of her and realized this was her destination. Brooke had never really given any thought to the fact that Lucas literally lived on the wrong side of the tracks from her. No doubt her mother would shudder at the notion of a Davis socializing with someone who lived this close to the river. She inspected the house, noting the flowers that surrounded the wrap around porch and the general thought that had been put into the furniture placement. This wasn't a den of iniquity as her mother was fond of calling the lower classes of Tree Hill, but rather a modest, welcoming home.

Stepping carefully, she made her way around the old porch, careful to avoid making the ancient boards squeak under her weight. She only saw a couple of lights on in the house, but she didn't want to take a chance and get Lucas in more trouble than he was already in. Brooke hesitated outside his door for a moment, before gently turning the old brass knob and pushing it open.

She walked inside, her eyes immediately seeking out her host. She smiled when she found him hunched over his keyboard, typing with a furious pace. Noticing the earphones he wore, Brooke reached over and flipped the light switch. Luke's head spun quizzically around, his face lighting up when he finally spotted her next to the door.

"Hey," he softly greeted her, walking over to where she still uncertainly stood near his doorway. He reached past her to flick the lock on the door, and then gently took her backpack from her. "Did you have trouble finding the place?" he asked, knowing that they lived in vastly different worlds, even if they had the same zip code.

"Your directions were good," she said, casually looking around his room. Brooke's moved over the impossibly small twin bed, only momentarily wondering how someone his height could sleep on such a small surface. She was drawn to the pictures that covered nearly every flat surface. "I like your house."

Luke's eyes drew together in confusion at her words. He wasn't sure if she was trying to be funny or not. "I know it's not a huge brick McMansion, but we're happy with it." His tone was kind of sharp, the tension of the night still affecting his mood. His precarious economic situation had always been a sensitive topic for Lucas. And while it helped that most of his friends at the rivercourt were also from modest households, Lucas carried it like the badge of a wounded solider. His indignation wasn't for the material things he lacked but rather for how hard his mother had worked over the years and how little she had for herself.

Brooke noticed the distant look on his handsome face, but wasn't sure what caused that emotion. Failing to find another chair outside of the one at his desk, she sat gently on the side of his bed. "Oh, you'd be surprised how nice this house is compared with the empty façade I live in," she said, a dull edge entering her voice. She looked him dead in the eye and fought to keep her voice level. "There's a reason I'm at your house and not my own." Brooke had come to hate her home, feeling at once both vulnerable and anxious even in her own room. She'd fought so hard to forget that night, forget the pain and shame she felt. If she could control the memories of that night, then she could make it better. She just needed to make sure that no one found out, that no one else knew what had gone on that night. She would be all right as long as she could control the memories of that night. And she couldn't control it if anyone else knew what happened.

Lucas instantly felt guilty at his earlier suspicion. How many times had he thought the same thing about Nathan? That while his half brother had two huge houses; he didn't have a great mother like Lucas did. "So what's going down at home that makes sleeping in a car look like a good alternative?" Brooke might be free spirited, but Lucas would never have described her as capricious.

She stared at his worn floorboards for a moment, weighing her desire to protect her family dysfunction and to hide her own shame with the opportunity to finally tell someone about how bad things were getting. Brooke wanted to confide in him, but as with Nathan, she just couldn't find the words to tell Lucas about that night. About her stepfather's lecherous looks and her mom's complete indifference. About that drunken, hazy night when she'd tried so hard to push J.J. off her… She should have fought harder or done something to make him stop. She'd spent so much time and energy lying that she was getting lost in the quagmire of her own deception.

But she did owe him an answer. Lucas was kind enough to make sure she had a safe place to sleep and she couldn't ignore his question. "Things are just bad lately. My step-father is creepy and my mom is letting him control my life," she offered, hoping that would satiate the curiosity in his gentle blue eyes. She forgot about her family angst for a moment and just stared at him, realizing for the first time that he had his father's eyes.

Lucas pulled his plain desk chair closer to his bed and flipped it around so he could sit closer to her. "Have you talked to your mom about how uncomfortable he makes you?"

Her brow slightly furled, not sure if she could ever approach her mother about anything more superficial than face creams and clothes. "My mom is not really the talking type. She's not particularly interested in me or my life." The reality of her words hung in between them, even as Lucas reached out and gently took her hand.

"I know how you feel," he expressed, staring into her green eyes. "And those aren't just words that I'm saying to comfort you. I know how it feels to have your own parent walk by you on the street and look away to avoid seeing you. It's humiliating and painful and stokes the intense hatred you have for them." Luke's words were soft, a reflection of his own sad childhood. He'd spent much time putting up a façade that his father's callus disregard of him didn't hurt, didn't affect him at all. But it did. He wanted a father just like any other kid and to see the way Dan lavished attention on his other son made it even worse. But he was used to the way things were. He'd had 16 years to adapt to having an ass for a father. Lucas just didn't know how to deal with a father who wanted to be in life.

Brooke clenched his hand even tighter, knowing that she'd felt that same way most of her life. "She acts like I'm such an inconvenience to have around, when she's never home and I barely speak to her." She continued holding his hand, taking comfort in how strong and warm it was, how safe she felt around him. Brooke Davis had felt many emotions when she was alone with a guy, but safe wasn't one of them.

He sensed he wouldn't get any details out of her, so he slowly stood up and stretched, noting that it was nearly midnight and they had school tomorrow. "So you can take the bed, and I'll grab my sleeping bag and sleep on the floor," he explained, mentally wincing at how sore he'd be the next day from sleeping on his very hardwood floors. He couldn't risk sleeping on the couch though. His mom was already butting into his business too much as it was. He knew Karen would be instantly suspicious if he tried to sleep in another room.

She smiled at him, knowing that her voice was more than sultry enough. "We can share the same bed, Lucas. I don't bite, you know," she playfully said. It was always easier for Brooke to make her interactions with boys about sex rather than anything emotional. That way everyone got what they wanted and nobody got hurt. Brooke wasn't afraid of sex, not if she were the aggressor, but the idea of giving a guy anything more terrified her.

Ignoring her suggestive tone, Lucas glanced doubtfully at the twin bed. "I barely fit on there, so I don't know if it's big enough for two." He'd fallen asleep on that very bed with Haley before, but he wasn't sure if he could sleep next to Brooke without wanting to touch her, and that was something he promised himself that he'd hold off on.

Luke had listened to Brooke talk while they were on the pier and he could tell she had issues with her reputation as a slut. Even though she tried to laugh it off, he could see the pain masquerading behind a strong since of bravado. Luke wanted Broke to know that he liked her for herself and not just her overly hot body. And if that meant taking things slow, he could do it.

However, he could resist touching her much better if he weren't lying next to her. Lucas had fought the urge to kiss her for days, wanting to build on the great conversations they were having. But like he'd told her at the party, he wasn't a saint and his fantasies of her at night were growing increasingly x-rated.

Brooke smiled at him, noticing how he anxiously wiped his hands on his faded jeans. "We'll make it work out. I simply can't impose on you and then make you sleep on that hard floor," she argued, using her mom's best southern hospitality voice. He wordlessly nodded, not sure he trusted his voice enough to risk speaking.

"I would kind of like to change though," she casually mentioned, motioning toward her backpack. Earlier that night, she had slipped into her room at home and carelessly thrown some makeup and clothes for school the next day into her bag.

Lucas didn't want to send her to the bathroom and risk Karen seeing her, so he slowly turned around. "You'll have to do it here, is that okay?" he tentatively asked.

"Sure," she said, already digging into her backpack and pulling off her clothes. A few seconds later, he heard a catch in her voice and slowly turned around, his jaw dropping as he saw her standing there in a matching purple satin underwear set. Her eyes sparkled as they met his. "Apparently my pajamas didn't get packed." She'd be lucky if she remember to bring shoes for school tomorrow, as she'd put little thought into her manic packing. She was sure that Lucas wouldn't mind letting her borrow a shirt for the night.

She started to ask him about the clothes when she noticed how he was still staring at her, taking in her curves as if she were the only oasis in his dessert. Knowing that he wasn't used to seeing girls in their undies, Brooke tried to break the tension somewhat by covering her taunt abs with her arms. "Um, I might need to borrow a shirt or something…" she hesitantly began, kind of liking the look of lust in his eyes. While some men scared Brooke, Lucas' attention was more flattering than frightening.

"Huh?" he finally responded, moving his eyes away from her breasts and toward her lovely face. Lucas wasn't the least bit embarrassed that he'd been caught staring at Brooke's considerable assets.

Her eyes crinkled in amusement at his unabashed worship of her body. "A shirt to sleep in? Maybe a pair of sweats so I don't get cold?" she clarified, laughing at how his eyes still roved the curves of her body.

Luke absently nodded at her words, hearing them even if he was too preoccupied to process them. It's not like he'd never seen a girl nearly naked before. But there was something about Brooke that just made all rational thought leave his body.

"Are you thinking about kissing me?" she bluntly asked, her voice more sultry than she'd intended. Lucas moved slowly toward her, closing the distance that still separated them.

"Of all the things running through my head now, kissing is definitely on the list," he replied, knowing that there were a few other things above it on his to do list. Like touching…he reached out and gently pulled her small body against his, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist. She tilted her head to one side, actively encouraging his seeking, hungry lips. His touch was tender at first, but as he felt the softness of her mouth, the kiss grew deeper and more passionate. His hands drifted down her back and over her hip, taking in the softness of her skin and tightness of her curves.

They broke apart, each gasping for air. A lazy smile covered Brooke's face. "I was wondering how long it was going to take you to kiss me." She'd never had a guy wait so long to make the first move, and while she normal had no qualms about initiating sexual contact, something about Lucas made her want to go slow. She didn't want to scare him off by being overly aggressive.

He stared into her eyes, wondering what deep thoughts clouded the otherwise beautiful façade he saw. He knew she was upset about something that there were problems at home, but he couldn't figure out what made Brooke Davis tick. And that mystery intrigued him and made him want to know more about her.

Running an idle hand over her naked back, Lucas fought the urge to unsnap her bra. "You do things to me, Brooke Davis," he slowly began, kissing the tip of her nose quickly before he changed his mind. Before he could completely move away from her, her arms tightened behind his back and she pulled him back to her, finding his lips. Her hands raked over his shoulders, then sank lower to the hem of his shirt. Lucas moaned as her hands slipped under his shirt, roving and massaging his back.

Lucas slid his hands under her ass, picking up her light frame and moving her back a few steps until they were pushed up against his wall. Unable to resist, he ground his hips into hers, desperate for any relief or contact he could get. Brooke murmured her approval, shoving his shirt up his torso, even as they heard a floorboard squeak in the hallway outside his room. Her lips continued traveling down the side of his neck, sensing the wild throb of his carotid artery and his heavy breathing as she kissed her way down to his shoulder.

A knock at the door stopped her in mid motion, causing a startled Lucas to jump back from her. Both of their eyes traveled to the brass doorknob as it gently moved. Brooke's eyes grew wide, realizing they were in for some serious yelling until she realized that the knob wasn't turning. She glanced at Lucas, and smiled, grateful that he tended to lock his door. She'd never been one to lock her door, until that night… now she couldn't stand to be in her room unless the door was secured.

A light knock came from the massive wood door. "Lucas," Karen softly but firmly called out. "I want to talk to you for a moment." Luke's eyes shifted frantically from the nearly naked girl in front of him to the doorway in near panic. A sudden thought crossed his mind and he swiftly picked Brooke up and gently set her in his closet, closing the door without another word. He ran a nervous hand through his hair, forcing himself to slow his heavy breathing down. Grabbing his headphones, he made his way to the door and slowly opened it.

Karen smiled when she saw the headphones, wondering how much of her son's childhood had been spent with those things covering his ears. "I was wondering if you had gone to bed," she started, clearly uneasy with the state of affairs between them. She walked into his room and noted his open physics book on his desk. "Did you get enough studying done?" she questioned, realizing that he was mad enough to pull his patented silent treatment.

Shrugging his shoulders, Lucas stared at the floor. "Enough". He was furious at his mom for forcing him to hang out with Dan and Nathan. He didn't have anything nice to say, so he opted to remain silent and avoid getting grounded any longer.

She nodded in understanding. Lucas wasn't one to shift his opinions quickly. "I know you are upset with me, Lucas. But I want you to understand that this situation has eaten enough of your childhood away. I want to make it better for you," she tried to explain, even as he moved across the room to increase the distance between them.

Brooke looked around the dark closet, not seeing a lot through in the light that the cracks around the door frame let in. She listened to some of the conversation in the room, before getting frustrated and focusing on her hiding spot. Brooke moved her hands up and down the various items she found in the closet, careful not to knock anything over or make any noise. She passed the time guessing what sweatshirt or hoodie she touched, before growing bored and cold. Lucas definitely needed some more clothes, she critically thought. Unlike her own massive walk in closets, the boy had less than ten shirts hanging in his, with enough room left over to hide her, she mused. Her first order of business was buying him some clothes, she decided. A few more seconds passed before she decided shopping could be her second order of business. She was cold and her lack of clothing wasn't helping in that drafty, dark closet. She tentatively felt her way along the hanging items, until she felt something warm and fuzzy. His favorite grey hoodie. She smiled as she quietly slipped the garment off the hanger and over her head. She might have been stuck in a closet, but at least she was warm.

Lucas shrugged his shoulders at his mother's attempts at clarification. "I don't have anything more to say. You can force me to spend time with both of them, but you can't force me to like them." And Lucas didn't like them. He hated Dan now more than ever. He felt violated by the one person he should have trusted, used to trust with his life.

Karen leaned back against his desk, moving a few things out of her way. She looked down in confusion and held up a hot pink tank top with rhinestones around the neckline. She held it out toward Lucas in confusion. "Do you need to tell me something, son?"

Glancing at the closet, Lucas forced his attention back toward his mother. "Haley must of left that from our last movie weekend," he offered, managing to sound disinterested and guy like at the same time. Karen smiled at him in mock relief. "That's a good thing, I was beginning to worry about crossing dressing behavior," she explained, setting the tank top back on his desk. She frowned a second, realizing it was a bit flashy for Haley. But kids today wore all sorts of layers and more than likely Haley had worn it under three or four other shirts.

Shaking her head, Karen turned her thoughts back to more pressing issues. She realized she had to give him time to come to terms with his estranged family. She walked toward the door before turning back toward him for a final comment. "You are better than this, Lucas. You are better than ruining your academic future by getting suspended. I know you think I'm being harsh by forcing you to associate with Dan and Nathan, but I can't risk you getting thrown out of school," she softly said, before closing the door behind her. She paused outside, frowning as she heard the distinct click of a lock being reengaged. Since when had Lucas started locking her out of his life? She walked back toward her room, suddenly exhausted. She had to focus on the long-term benefits. Karen just hoped that Dan followed through for once, and that he held up his end of the bargain. For all their sakes.

Lucas listened carefully as his mother made her way back to her own bedroom. He yanked the closet door open and found Brooke leaning against the side of the small space. She grinned at him as she sauntered out into his room. "Just to clarify Lucas, tutor girl types don't wear hot pink tank tops with rhinestones," she commented, as she picked up her shirt and shoved it in her backpack. She felt his eyes on her as she moved around the room.

"I think I like my sweatshirt better on you than on me," he noted, watching the way the hem of the faded grey hoodie skimmed her tanned thighs. As sad as he was to see her wearing clothing, part of him was relieved that she was covered up. A guy could only handle so much temptation and a naked Brooke Davis and a bedroom were too much enticement. His eyes followed her as she gathered up bits and pieces of her clothing and stuffed them inside her pink backpack. She seemed almost…jittery for lack of a better word, he concluded.

Brooke finally stopped moving around the room, realizing that her restlessness was beyond obvious. She sank onto the edge of his bed and met his kind blue eyes with her own tentative ones. "I get antsy at night," she offered, not wishing to elaborate any more than necessary. Night had once been a refuge for Brooke, a time of quiet solitude where her parents were out with their various flings. She liked it when they were away on trips or out of the house because that meant there would be no screaming fights or shattered pottery to keep her awake into the early hours of morning.

Now night was more insidious, bringing malice and evil under the cloak of darkness. And Brooke hadn't slept well since that night. She'd found that deep sleep was a place where she couldn't hide the truth about that night, and images often invaded her dreams, leaving her awake and trembling more nights than not lately. After a few nights of no sleep, Brooke resorted to sneaking a few shots from the bar in their entertainment room. The hard liquor usually helped her sleep a few hours, abating the painful memories and agonizing paralysis that came with the nightmares. A few times she had even resorted to stealing a few of her mother's industrial strength Valium. Brooke had found there were only a few nightmares strong enough to override the affects of that little pill. But now it was more than memories and nightmares threatening her, it was the very tangible threat of her stepfather, lurking behind every door of her house. And all the booze and pills did was make her sluggish and non-responsive. Brooke had learned the hard way how hard it was to fight back when you were drunk. Still, every now and then she'd resort to the shots or Valium. Sleep was a precious commodity.

"Brooke?" Luke's voice interrupted her reverie, causing her to focus on the current time.

His eyes were creased in concern, knowing that something serious was going on.

Lucas sat next to her on the bed and put his arm around her, trying to offer her comfort. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you look tired. Are you sure there's nothing you want to talk about?" he gently questioned, knowing that when he was bad situation, he could always talk things out with his mom. Or least he used to be able to talk to her.

She abruptly looked up, as if she'd not processed a single word he'd said the last five minutes. "What?" she asked, looking confused a moment. She'd been drifting off lately, her mind wandering back to past events she couldn't stuff deep down in her brain anymore. "I'm just not sleeping well," she confided, hoping that would be enough of a hint to Lucas that she was finished talking for the night.

He slowly nodded, even as he took in the dark smudges under her beautiful eyes. He moved toward the head of the twin bed, pulling his shirt over his head as he went. She stared at his taunt abs, admiring the view. Lucas self-consciously looked at her a moment, before pulling the shirt back over his head. "I'll just sleep in my clothes tonight," he said, not wanting any more exposed skin than was absolutely necessary. She nodded at him shyly, suddenly timid about crawling in bed with him. They had such a great vibe going, and she was afraid that would shatter the moment he initiated sex. He settled back into the far side of the small bed, more between the wall and the edge of the bed than on the surface itself. He held the covers up and she scooted under them, instantly nestling up against his warm body.

A few minutes passed as they both tossed and turned, each trying to find a position in the impossibly small bed that wouldn't disturb the other. Lucas was doing his best to maintain at least a small amount of distance from her, but he found it impossible to accommodate his tall frame without bumping some body part against hers.

Sighing, Brooke reached over and touched what she assumed was his face. "Roll over on your side," she commanded, waiting until she felt the appropriate shift in the bed. She then rolled over the same direction and wiggled backward until she found his body. "Spooning 101," she clarified, feeling the tension in his body. Still silent, Lucas eventually took a deep breath and relaxed, wrapping one arm around her waist and placing the other under her head.

As she drifted off to sleep a final thought crossed her mind. She was at peace, for the first time in a long time. She felt safe in his arms.

* * *

Ahhhhhh. Doesn't everyone lurve Brucas?? Replies are loved and encouraged!! Thanks for reading.


	16. Chapter 16

* * *

  


* * *

  


A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 15

* * *

Light streamed in through the slats of the blinds, casting a warm glow over the bed. Brooke smiled at a sleeping Lucas, taking in the serenity that he projected even with his eyes closed. She zipped her jeans and slid her strapy shoes on, pausing beside the bed only a moment. Lucas was curled liked a giant child, lost in a tangle of sheets and blankets in the tiny bed. She placed a gentle kiss on his forehead and then grabbed her backpack off on old chest of drawers. It was only 5:30 AM but Brooke could hear the sounds of Karen moving around the house and she didn't want to risk getting caught. Lucas was in more than enough trouble already.

She stared regretfully at the bed, longing to crawl back under the covers in order to snuggle with Lucas. She'd spent the night in his arms and for the first time in a long time, she had slept like a rock. With a final gaze, she slipped out the door and down the sidewalk. She couldn't go home because her parents hadn't left for the airport yet, but she could find some coffee and wait for school to begin.

* * *

Karen moved around the kitchen setting various dishes on the worn Formica table. "Lucas," she yelled, a bit perturbed he didn't come the first three times she called him. She'd gotten up early in order to have time to fix his favorite breakfast foods and perhaps to cajole him into talking to her.

Lumbering down the hall, Lucas dropped his backpack beside the table and silently sat down in his usual place. Karen watched as he picked up a fork and began moving the food around on his plate, occasionally taking a bite, but more often than not just rearranging the food around the plate. He was still disappointed that he woke up alone, having spent a great night curled up with Brooke. Something about watching her sleep, feeling her warm, soft body next to his had temporarily wiped the issues with Dan from his mind. When his alarm had gone off, reality came crashing down and Lucas realized that today was going to truly suck.

"Okay, so I take it you still aren't happy about last night?" she began, hoping to egg him into at least making a comment. He responded without words, merely raising an eyebrow in her general direction, before taking a long sip of his orange juice.

Karen's resolve grew with each passing moment of dead silence. "I know you Lucas and the silent treatment won't get you out of going to Dan's after school today." He finally reacted to her words, looking her dead in the eye. "I don't have anything else to say," he softly said, looking back down at his plate and muttering "or at least nothing that won't get me grounded."

For a moment, Karen was truly worried. Lucas was quiet and introspective by nature, but she knew they had a strong relationship. "You aren't grounded because of something you said about Dan," she reminded him. "You are grounded because you started a fight during a basketball game, broke curfew and got drunk. And I think a few weeks of being grounded is lenient compared to your crimes."

Lucas forced himself to not slam his hand on their fragile table. "Well, you are certainly making me pay by forcing me to spend time with Dan." It was a short sentence but one that conveyed every ounce of anger and hatred he had for the man.

Karen dropped her fork in the middle of her barely eaten eggs. This conversation wasn't going the way she wanted it to go. "Dan is trying, Lucas. He knows he can't make up for the past, but he is interested in at least getting to know you. Your punishment is not for Dan's sake. It's for you and Nathan. If the threat of having to spend time together prevents another fight, then Dan and I are both in favor of forcing you to spend time together," she explained, seeing in her son's eyes that he simply didn't care what her rationale was. "You need to get to know your brother even if you never speak to Dan again."

Lucas pushed back from the table, nearly knocking his chair over in the process. Grabbing his backpack off the floor, he slowly stalked toward the door. He paused a moment and turned back to look at his mother. "I've wasted enough time on both of them in the past. I don't care if I ever talk to them again, let alone waste time associating with them." His words hung in the air, even after the door slammed and he left the house.

Karen sighed, knowing that the next few months weren't going to be easy. But there had to be a better way for both boys. She could see the tension eating her son up inside. She had to do act before something deadly erupted between Lucas and his half brother.

* * *

Yawning, Brooke slammed the door to her car and slowly made the long march from the parking lot to the front door of the building. She'd actually been in the parking lot for hours, having driven to school and sneaked into the locker room where the cheerleaders kept their stuff in order to shower before classes started. She'd spent the last hour sitting in her car, drinking coffee and trying to avoid the questioning glances of the academic team members who regularly showed up to school at the ungodly hour of 7 AM.

Hearing her name, Brooke turned around and saw Nathan's large frame moving toward her. The crowd of lingering teens seemed to part as if Nathan were Moses and the parking lot was his Red Sea. He hurriedly made his way over to her.

As he fell in step with her, Brooke stared at Nate in confusion. "Do I know you? Oh... you're my ex friend who called me a slut last night in the middle of a busy cafe."

Nate looked confused, not sure where her anger was coming from. "Brooke, I'm just trying to protect you from that guy. He's just using you to hurt me," Nate patiently explained to her. He sped up, realizing she was walking at four times her normal pace, attempting to get away from him.

"Give me some credit to know when a guy is using me, Nate. Besides, not everything in life is about you," she noted, having dealt with too many guys in past that just wanted to use her body.

"Where did you end up sleeping last night?" he questioned, concerned about the dark circles under her eyes and the general frazzled look to her hair and clothes. He nodded his "big man on campus" nod to a few giggling freshmen girls, as he waited for her answer.

"As if it's any of your concern," she remarked, continuing to make her way toward the building. She threw open the main school door and stalked off in the general direction of her locker. Nate stared at her in confusion, before catching up with her and roughly pulling her into an isolated corner under the stairwell.

"I mean it, Brooke. I was worried all night. My dad normally doesn't care about rules, but since he's been around that...Karen person, he's all about rules. I just wanted to let you know you can always stay the night at the beach house. I want you to have this," he said, sliding something small and metal into her slight hand.

She looked down in confusion at the key he'd given her. "What is this?"

Nathan smiled at her. "Its a key to the beach house. Next time you need some place to crash, just go there and stay for the night, whenever you want." Dan didn't say that Nathan couldn't have guests at their other house, he reasoned.

Brooke fought the urge to smack that proud, condescending smile off his face. "Wow... such a magnanimous gesture, Nate."

She spun around and continued walking to her locker when he caught up with her once again. "I don't understand...magnam what?"

"Maybe you should ask your tutor what it means. I'm sure you'll be spending plenty of time with her during our lunch break," she said, as she twisted the dial on her combination lock with extra vigor.

Nathan was completely lost by this point. "Are you talking about yesterday? I needed help with a test and Haley was giving me one last session before the test. I waited for you the entire time," he explained, wondering if that was why Brooke was so mad at him and why she'd been so distant lately. "I even saved you half a sandwich, but you never showed up."

Brooke was slightly happy to hear that she'd not been totally dismissed for Tutor Girl. But she was still angry about his attempts to get Lucas in trouble the night before. And seeing Haley hanging all over him that night just made her that much more angry. "Oh and I am sure that Haley was just an eager beaver to help you during lunch," she snarked, grabbing her English and biology books.

Frustrated, Nate slammed his hand against the locker next to hers, causing her to jump and the students in the hallway to stop and stare at them. "What is your problem? Are you PMSing or is this just your new attitude since you've been hanging out with Lucas?"

Slamming her locker shut, Brooke turned around to face him. "No this is about you treating your brother like crap and purposefully trying to get him in trouble. Do you realize that by telling Karen that Lucas was getting drunk with me that you made me look like a loser in her eyes? I don't need anyone else thinking I'm a drunk slut."

Nate's eyes narrowed. He'd not realized that his words the night before might have affected Dan or Karen's opinion of his best friend. "Come on Brooke, you aren't like that and anyone who knows you understands that."

Dropping her books into her backpack, she gave Nate a final look. "Oh that's right. Let's all feel sorry for drunken Brooke. But you've got Tutor Girl to make everything okay," she sarcastically commented, not caring if her words hurt. "I guess you can be friends with the town slut as long as you only date girls who collect Carebears."

Sighing, Nate ran a frustrated hand through his dark hair. "She's just a friend right now, Brooke. She doesn't even think about me that way," he solemnly said, a bit sad that such a nice girl didn't know he was alive outside of his history grade. "I'm just a project to her, a fixer upper that she needs to work on in order to have a stellar tutor record."

Brooke stopped outside the door to her English class, hoping to catch a glimpse of Lucas in the hallway. She turned toward her friend and shook her head. "Nathan, if you can't tell that girl is head over heels for you, you're more dense than I thought." She walked off, but not before catching a grin on his face as he walked toward his math class.

* * *

Lucas chased Haley down the hallway, knowing that after standing him up for lunch, she was purposefully avoiding him. Lunch didn't bother him that much. Let her eat with Loser Nathan. He'd spent a perfect lunch laughing with Brooke and sharing his food with her. Lucas had worried that things might be awkward between them, especially after he'd woken up alone. But when he'd finally talked her before one of the two classes they shared, everything had been fine.

He frowned a second, realizing that fine was an understatement. Things were nearly…great. Lucas hated to be optimistic. Any time he'd tried to have faith or hope that something would pan out, he was inevitable disappointed. But he liked spending time with Brooke. She made him both relaxed and hormonal. And she always found a way to make him smile, a way to lighten his overly serious personality.

A silly smile crossed his face a moment, before he realized that Haley was standing right in front of him. She crossed her arms across her slight frame and stared at him expectantly.

"God, Hales. You scared the daylight out of me," he started, his voice giving out when he realized she was mad at him. Not mad, but seriously pissed. He'd known her most of his life and was well aware of her body language.

"Maybe if you paid attention to what you were doing and more importantly, what you were saying, you wouldn't look like an idiot all the time," she caustically replied, motioning around to their gapping peers. Lucas followed her to an empty classroom, not really caring what the rest of his class thought. They'd been gossiping and talking about Lucas for most of his life and he didn't see any reason to start caring what they thought now.

He could tell by the tone of her voice that this was not going to be pleasant, but he wanted to get it over with so they could move on. "So, have you now officially ditched our lunches together in order to hang out with Mr. Basketball Star or are you just busy lately?"

The scowl on her face said more than any of her words could. "And why would I want to spend my lunch break with a guy who told the entire town I was sleeping with Nathan?" she asked, not really looking for an answer to her question.

Lucas shrugged his shoulders, happy to at least know the source of her anger. "I didn't tell the entire town, just a few people last night. By accident," he explained, realizing that his words were falling on deaf ears.

Haley was fuming by now. "I'm NOT sleeping with anyone, Lucas. I'm the same virgin that you've known for 16 years. And even if I did decide to sleep with someone, what gives you the right to tell the entire café?"

"I was angry at you for talking to him last night and at the party," he began, not getting far before she cut him off with an angry wave of her hand. "So that gives you the right to make up lies about me? Do you realize that you've just done the same thing to me that people have done to you your entire life," she said, tears coming to her eyes for a moment.

His head fell in shame for a moment. "Haley, what else would the guy want to take you upstairs for? It's the universal guy move for "let's go make out"". He still couldn't believe how betrayed he felt at his friends actions. He'd been avoiding it for a while, but Lucas had been upset since Haley agreed to tutor Nathan. "After all the things he's done to me, Haley. Why would you do this to me?" he asked, his plaintive words affecting her own anger.

She stood her ground. "This isn't about you and Nathan, Lucas. It's about our friendship. And you hurt me last night. You know how news travels in this town. My parents have probably already called my siblings to ask for advice on what to do with my out of control sex life," she said, catastrophizing her already goofy parents tendencies.

Lucas remained silent, feeling he was justified in his own anger. She sighed and gave him the benefit of the doubt. "Do you want to know why we went up stairs, Lucas? We were talking about his mother and he wanted to show me some pictures of her. That's it Lucas. No touching, no kissing and definitely no sex. But we did talk a lot and you should try to be a little more understanding of your brother's pain."

Her words cut through him like a knife. "OH god, not the dead mother melodrama again. Hasn't he played that card enough with his teachers over the years?" Lucas asked, sick of seeing how Nathan used his personal tragedy to get out of class deadlines and schoolwork.

Haley eye's rose in surprise. She'd known that Lucas could be irrational on the subject of his other family but she'd not realize just how low he could sink. "Kind of like you playing the abandoned son card, right Luke?" she asked, knowing that he needed a reality check. "We all have pain in our life, but what gives you the right to deem Nathan's as unworthy?"

She was expecting a hot retort from him, or a patented Lucas Scott analytical diatribe. However, she wasn't prepared when he gave her a hurt look and wordless stalked out of the room.

* * *

The last bell of the day rang, sending Nathan further into dread. His father had called him on his cell at lunch and instructed him to find Lucas after class so that Nathan could drive them both to the dealership. As if it was Nate's fault that Lucas didn't have a car to drive himself places, he fumed. Nathan slung his backpack over one shoulder as he headed down the hall to the bastard spawn's locker.

Lucas dumped a book in the bottom of his locker as he wearily eyed Nathan's approach. He didn't need his half brother adding to his problems, as he'd just failed his physics test. The grades wouldn't be posted for a few days, but Lucas knew the information well enough to know he'd been mentally vacant during most of the test. The fight with Haley and her biting words about his family situation had clouded his mind through out most of the test and he found it impossible to do more than rehash her harsh words.

Nathan stood next to his locker for a moment in silence, never really sure how to approach his sullen half brother unless he was trying to upset him. He decided to go with blunt and simple. "My dad told me to give you a ride to the dealership."

Slamming his locker, Lucas picked up his frayed backpack, before giving Nathan a slightly surprised look. "He's not been particularly interested how I got around town before, so tell him to bite me. I'll get there when I get there."

Nathan's curiosity was piqued a bit. People accused him of being a hothead but Lucas seemed to have more anger than a starving horde outside an empty Krispy Kreme. "Look man, it wasn't my idea, it was his. And since he and your mother seem to be holding all the cards here, why piss them off any more?"

They walked together in silent agreement, heading toward the parking lot with the rest of their classmates. "I don't really care what they think at this point. My mother was too busy playing Dr. Phil that she forgot that I have a real job after work, one that I actually need." Not that Lucas would be spending any of his paychecks in the next few weeks, he realized, seeing one good point about being grounded.

Nathan decided to avoid that point. Everyone knew that Lucas had to manage an after school job with his basketball obligations. Nathan never had to work for money, it was always just around. And if he didn't have any, he just had to ask Dan for more. "So what are you going to do? Should I tell Dad that you aren't showing up?"

Lucas paused a moment, preparing to head off toward Keith's shop. "I don't care what you tell him. I'll be over there after I explain to Keith why I won't be at work. If he doesn't like it, then he can run to my mother," Lucas said, giving Nate a measured look before walking off.

Nathan shook his head, knowing that this wasn't going to be good. Yesterday's work at the Café had been hard enough, even with Haley's presence. But Dan hadn't been hanging around for the majority of the time, and today it would be nearly impossible to avoid the three of them being in the same room at the same time. He slowly made his way to his SUV, thinking that there were entirely too many Scotts in Tree Hill.

* * *

Thanks for the awesome replies and for reading.

Next up:

Brooke tries to loosen Lucas up before he goes to Dan's  
Keith has some big news for Lucas


	17. Chapter 17

Thanks for the awesome replies! I don't own these characters, I'm just doing something constructive with them.

* * *

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 16

* * *

The autumn sun beat down on Lucas' back as he made his way from school to his Uncle's garage. It was times like these that Lucas envied Nathan and his expensive SUV. You can bet Nathan's precious feet never hit the concrete, he angrily thought. As difficult as it had been to assimilate into the team's practice schedule, Lucas found that he now missed practicing with the team. He loved basketball and hated to be driven away from it by his own mother. The sound of a car behind him caused him to turn toward the road.

"Hey Broody, want a ride?" Brooke's voice purred from her convertible. He smiled at her only for a second before dumping his backpack on the back seat and sliding in next to her.

"Hey," he murmured before pulling her into a deep kiss. They broke apart as a car horn beeped insistently behind them. Brooke gave him a short giggle before shifting the car into drive and moving smoothly into traffic. "Where are we going?" she asked, knowing where she'd like to take him. She knew her parents were out of the state by now, leaving her very large house unattended. It was perfect for a romantic tryst.

"Can you take me to my Uncle's garage?" he asked, hating that he was going to have to eventually go to Dan's. She slid her hand on his thigh and gave him a pout. "I'd rather take you some place dark and quiet."

Lucas stifled a moan as her hand gradual inched up his thigh. "I'm impressed that you can do two things at once," he said, pointing toward the crimson traffic light that she ran. Brooke smirked at him and removed her hand. "What can I say…I'm a good multi-tasker."

She looked over at him, taking in his stiff posture and distant eyes. "You're worried about going to Dan's, aren't you?" she asked, sympathy for him obvious in her kind tone.

Lucas shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what to feel. I hate the guy and I feel like my own mother just threw me to the crocodiles," he said. "Brooke, I don't think I've ever said more than five sentences to the guy and now I have to spend the day with him."

She listened to his words and heard the undertones of anger that permeated his words. "You don't have to say anything to him. You can just do whatever he asks you and Nate to do in silence. You brood better than anyone I know…why not just ignore him like you do most people at school?"

He considered her words for a second. "I'm just nervous. My stomach has been in knots since last night," he confessed, feeling secure enough around her to tell the truth. "It's like the world is spinning out of control and I'm being swept away in the confusion."

Brooke nodded at his troubled yet articulate words. "You didn't eat much at lunch. And you were really restless last night," she revealed. It was bad enough that he'd already failed a test because of Dan, but now he was losing his appetite. He smiled at her words. "I'm glad you stayed with me. I'd probably not slept at all if it weren't for you."

She abruptly pulled the car over into a vacant parking lot. Before he could question her sudden detour, she pulled a shiny silver flask from her backpack. "You want a few swigs of this? It might calm your pre-Dan jitters down."

"What is it?" he asked, curious about why she carried a flask to school. Brooke twisted the top off and offered it to him. "Just some vodka, nothing hard core. Sometimes I need a few sips to get through the day," she offered him, knowing that it was fairly lame to admit to drinking during school. She might have a reputation for partying hard on the weekends, but imbibing at school seemed down right tacky.

Lucas gently brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. "Brooke, what is going on with you?" he softly questioned her. "First you can't sleep at home and now you're drinking at school?"

She avoided his eyes, though the flask she held quivered in her grasp. "It's just really complicated. I don't want to talk about it," she said, her tone final. Lucas nodded, knowing that they all had demons to fight. "But I want you to know it's my personal goal to get you to trust me enough to talk to me." He gave her a steady look before taking the silver metal container from her. He downed the contents in a few gulps before handing it back to her. Lucas forced himself to take a few deep breaths, even as he felt the alcohol coursing through him. It was going to be a very long day.

Brooke pulled out of the parking lot with a final wave and an encouraging smile. Lucas watched her convertible drive off, wishing that he could have been in the car with her. Sighing, he walked into the garage, hoping to find a sign of life in the cavernous structure. Though the shop staff consisted of just Keith and Lucas, his uncle had built up a reputation as an honest mechanic. They'd never get rich off the shop, but it was a decent enough living. Lucas just wanted more…he wanted a job that didn't involve grease and back breaking labor. "Keith," he called out, confused as to where his uncle would be so late in the afternoon. He tossed the gum Brooke had given him to mask any scent that the vodka might have left into one of the large trash cans, hesitating a moment to gather some energy.

The garage bays were open, so he knew that Keith had to be around. He closed his eyes and warily wiped his face on his gray hoodie. The scent from Brooke wafted up toward his nose, filling his senses with memories of the girl who spent the night curled in his sweatshirt and his arms.

"Lucas," Keith called out, coming from the tiny office in the very back of the garage. "Did Whitey cancel practice?" Keith was surprised to see his nephew. Practice had really cut into Luke's work time, but Keith was just happy to see the kid doing something normal. He was smiling as he approached his nephew, clearly expecting them to get to work. "I've got the Jetta fixed, so we should probably turn our attention toward Mr. Given's Jeep."

Lucas stuffed his hands into the pocket of his hoodie and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Keith stared at him for a moment, knowing when his nephew was upset. "Or maybe you have something you need to tell me?" Keith questioned, motioning Lucas toward his office.

He shuffled after his uncle, not wanting to tell Keith that his own mother was forcing him into slave labor.

Keith pulled open the ancient gold refrigerator and handed Lucas a cold drink. "So what's the latest news from your corner of town?" Keith asked, sensing his nephew's reluctance to talk. He'd always known that the boy was quiet around strangers, but lately Keith feared he was growing silent around everyone in his life. Lucas could be so serious that it was hard for Keith to see him interact with the larger world around him. He knew his nephew would rather be buried in a book than hanging out with his peers. Keith felt partially guilty, knowing that Lucas was still upset that he was dating another woman.

"Well, I can't work today. I came by to tell you that my mom has gone crazy and decided that as punishment for the fight during the game, I have to work for Dan for the day," Lucas spat out, clearly infuriated with his mom's careless actions.

Keith's jaw actually dropped at his nephew's words. "Dan as in my brother Dan? You have to work for Dan?" he repeatedly, not fully understanding the situation.

Dropping his feet listlessly on the floor, Lucas shrugged his shoulders at his Uncle. "Nathan and I nearly got suspended for fighting during a school event. Mom went ballistic and decided for every fight we have, we have to work together for a day."

Keith's eyes widened in surprised. "How does that translate out to you working for Dan?" He knew how seriously Karen took school, but he was a bit stunned that she'd force her son to spend time with the man that had so callously abandoned him for his entire life.

"The idea is that if Nathan and I are forced to spend time together, we'll discover our brotherly bond," Lucas explained, the sarcasm dripping from his words. He looked up at his Uncle, who remained silent in an attempt to encourage Lucas to talk. "And she's right. If I have to spend time near Dan and Nathan, I'll never swing at the guy again. It seems mom and Dan have formed an alliance dedicated to bringing all of us closer together."

Keith sighed, knowing that Karen had always been one to try to bring people together. She hated fighting and discord. "So she's making the two of you work at Dan's for the day?" he asked, attempting to clarify the situation. "Are you okay with that?"

Lucas abruptly stood up, feeling the need to move. "I don't like either of them, Keith. Nathan's an ass and Dan is just…" Luke's large vocabulary failed him. Keith nodded in sympathy, knowing first hand how difficult his little brother could be.

"I know it's hard for you to be around him, Luke. But maybe it's a chance for you two to get to know each other, maybe find some common ground." Keith wasn't sure that he believed his own words, but he'd admonished Dan for years of neglect regarding Lucas. And if Dan had actually agreed to work with Karen, things were definitely changing. Dan and Karen had always had bad timing. If Dan was willing to try, Karen had been unforgiving. By the time Karen had calmed down, Dan had walked off in a snit, angered that she'd not openly embraced his overtures. He'd watched their elaborate tango for nearly 17 years and it still amazed him that never could find a compromise regarding Lucas.

"It's just a power trip, Keith. He's run out of ways to humiliate me during games, so he's trying to find another way to drive me crazy," Lucas surmised, wondering why the booze wasn't helping him to relax.

Keith tossed his now empty can into the trash before turning to face Lucas. "He's always been a control freak. I remember the night of the accident, he…" Keith suddenly caught himself, realizing that he'd already said too much.

Lucas pounced on his words in a second. "The night of the accident? Was Dan at the hospital the night I was in surgery?" he asked his Uncle, with a near hopeful expression on his face. Luke's mind went back to all the arguments he'd overheard his mom and Keith have after he'd gotten home from the hospital. The nagging suspicions he'd had for months were returning with a vengeance.

"Lucas, I was just going to say that the night of the accident Dan called my cell phone repeatedly, not content until he'd heard that I was okay," Keith explained, hoping that his explanation didn't sound as lame to Lucas as it did to himself. Dan had called him repeatedly, but only to check up on Luke's post surgery condition. He'd hung around long enough to sign for the surgery and to make sure his son survived, but he'd left as soon as he'd gotten word that Luke was alright. Lately, his nephew had been so obsessed with the accident and his parents' past. "Dan is just completely focused and when he makes a decision, he commits to it 100."

Leaning against the back wall of the shop, Lucas gazed at his Uncle with penetrating eyes. Keith had always been upfront with him, whether it was questions about sex or why Dan never wanted to spend time with him. Keith was one of the few people that Lucas completely trusted and here he was jumping down the guy's throat. "I just need to know the truth, Keith."

Sighing, the older man leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees. "Well, in the name of honesty, I have some news for you." Lucas looked over at him, his face growing unhappier by the moment. He knew this couldn't be anything good. He took a seat on the beat up brown couch that lined the back wall of the garage and waited for his Uncle to continue.

"You know that I've been seeing Anna for a while, right?" he questioned, waiting for Luke's solemn nod before proceeding. "Well, I know we've only been dating a few months, but last night I asked Anna to marry me."

The only sound in the room was the ticking of an old wall clock that was emblazed with the logo of an auto parts supplier. Luke felt a lump form in his throat and words escaped him. Keith moved over to sit next to him on the couch, already sensing his nephew emotionally withdrawing. "Lucas, you have to know that I would have given anything to make things work with your mom. If for no other reason than giving you the family I know you crave."

Lucas angrily swatted at the tears that formed in his eyes, fighting to control his shallow breathing. He felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach. "But you don't even know this girl…"

"Lucas, I know her well enough to know we are a good match. We have fun together and I feel connected to her in a way I've never experienced before, not even with your mom," he gently explained, hating the pain he saw so clearly written on Luke's face. "I'm in love, Luke. I want to have a family of my own, and Anna and I are both ready to start a family."

Luke actually recoiled at his Uncle's words. "But if you and Mom just gave it one more try, maybe . . ." Keith gently cut him off. "Lucas, you mother and I are never going to get back together. We tried and it didn't work out," he explained, knowing full well that Lucas had overheard enough of their fights to realize it wasn't working out.

"Is that because you think she's got a thing for Dan?" he angrily asked, bringing up the accusations he had heard Keith toss at his mom that night at the café. Keith sighed and leaned back against the worn couch. "I wish you hadn't overheard that, Luke. My idle speculations don't necessarily reflect reality.

Lucas watched him for a moment before speaking. "But you do know Dan and my mom better than any else, don't you? And you'd know if they were involved," he asked, almost afraid to hear his Uncle's response. That might go a long way to explain his mother's new found Dan tolerance.

"Lucas, your parents have a long and complicated relationship. And I honestly don't know their private feelings regarding the other. But you have to know that my feelings toward you aren't going to change just because I get married. Anna really likes you and she's looking forward to being an Aunt," he explained. "She doesn't have any family Lucas and she's really excited about this."

Hearing the censure in his Uncle's words, Lucas attempted to suck it up but failed miserably. A tear escaped his eye, even as he wiped his face. "But once you have your own kid, you won't need me anymore," he said, his voice small and sad. "I just wanted you to be my dad."

Keith's heart clenched in pain, hating to see how upset Lucas was about his impending marriage. "Luke, you will always be my son, even if Anna and I do have a baby. No one could fill your place in my heart."

He stood up, suddenly feeling more anxious than before he'd guzzled Brooke's vodka. "Everything is changing. And I feel completely disoriented," he confessed, not trusting his voice to say much more.

Keith stood up and pulled his nephew into a hug. "Life is about change, Lucas. But the one thing I can promise you is that my marriage to Anna is not going to affect our relationship in any way."

Nodding, Lucas wiped his face one last time and pulled away, heading for the door. "I need to get to Dan's before he calls my mom and tells her I'm a no show," he said, looking for his backpack. Keith found his bag and wrapped an arm around Luke's shoulders. "Let me drive you over there," he said, hoping that he could find some way to reassure his nephew in the ten minute drive across town.

* * *

I know, it was a short chapter. If anyone's interested I could post the next chapter in a couple of days! Replies are appreciated. It's always nice to know what you think about a chapter and if you liked it or not.

Up next:

Dan sends Nate on some business

Dan sees his brother with his son

Luke and Dan state the obvious in front of a lot of customers


	18. Chapter 18

Thanks for the awesome replies! You all are such great readers. I love hearing what you think about the characters or the plot. It's always fun to see whose

picking up on what. Thanks for taking the time to reply!

* * *

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 17

* * *

Nathan parked his Navigator in the parking lot of the dealership and reluctantly headed toward his dad's office. The main building in the dealership complex was a nightmare union of glass and chrome, something that always reminded Nathan of some strange Japanese anime movie. Only his dad could build something so totally tacky and functionless, he thought as he opened the door and headed toward his dad's office. He nodded to various salespeople and administrative types who called out to him. Years ago when Nathan had been a little kid, he'd spent most of his weekends at work with Dan. He used to love seeing all the people come in and drive off with a new car, even as his dad's eyes glinted with greed at his healthy profits.

But as he'd gotten older Nathan had more responsibilities with his various activities and then after his mother's death his dad suddenly stopped taking him to work. Nathan supposed someone had mentioned that Dan needed to do something more personal with his son other than share his work. And as his business had grown more successful, his dad had stopped working weekends all together. Nathan knew that his grandparents had complained that Dan rarely saw his son and after that his father had promptly done the only thing he knew: enrolled Nathan in every sport possible.

Dan had gone from being a workaholic to a single parent and team super parent. Nathan supposed that it was a result from Dan's lack of hobbies. He didn't fish, was incapable of sitting through an entire book and found television boring. Sports provided an outlet for Dan that burned his excess energy. Nathan couldn't help but feel sad that his dad couldn't find a girlfriend instead of spending all his free time coaching little league.

"Nathan!" Dan shouted from his office, motioning his younger son away from the reception desk. Nathan obediently trotted toward his father's office, much like a lost puppy that'd found an owner. Slumping into one of his father's opulent black leather office chairs, Nate studied his dad and realized he was nearly…giddy. "Did you have a record number of repossessions today?" he asked, not sure what to think about the broad smile on his father's face.

"Can't I just be happy to see my son?" Dan questioned. As nervous as he was about having both his sons with him at work, a part of Dan was excited. Sure, Lucas would be snarly for while, that was to be expected. He could understand and even appreciate his oldest son's resentment. Dan was known for the fierce grudges he held when angry and a part of him was somewhat relieved to see that Lucas had inherited something from him. Something other than piercing blue eyes and an uncanny ability to play basketball. If his son wanted a battle of the wills, he was going to get one. For once, Dan didn't want to give up on Lucas. He didn't want to take the easy way out yet again. And, if pressed, he had to admit that he didn't want to let Karen down again.

Nathan stared at his father suspiciously. "No, you can't just be happy to see me." Dan's brow creased at his son's words. He didn't understand where Nathan's anger was coming from. "Is this about me making you miss basketball?"

"It's about all of it, Dad. I'm sick of it. This town is schizophrenic and I can't keep up with the Dynasty-esque plot lines," he calmly replied, more shell shocked than angry. "And maybe I don't want to share." Nathan was so tired of the golden boy moving in on his territory. It was bad enough when it had been his team and his women, but Nathan had a secret fear that Lucas and his mother posed a larger threat to his way of life than anything else around him.

Dan's heart clenched, seeing the genuine fear that briefly covered his son's face. "Nathan, this isn't a competition. While I want to get to know Lucas, I'm not going to swap you out for him." He didn't say that he hardly could see Lucas ever fitting in or being happy with them. There was an aloof, independent side to his oldest son that wouldn't play well at the country club, Dan thought.

"It doesn't really matter. I just want to get this day over with," Nathan replied, clearly signaling that the candid moment was over. Dan leaned back against his desk, frowning in confusion. "Wait, weren't you supposed to drive Lucas over after school?" he asked, staring out past his son, his gaze sweeping through the various customers and employees lingering in the lobby. He didn't see the tall, lanky boy anywhere. He shifted his gaze back to Nathan expectantly.

"He said something about having to go over to Keith's to tell him that he couldn't work today. Nathan replied, not really caring where Lucas went or what he did. Seeing his father frown, he hastened to explain. "Lucas said something about being over here when he was done."

Dan nodded, realizing that it wasn't late enough to call Karen. School had only been out 15 minutes and he decided to give Lucas another15 minutes before alarming his mother. He knew that Lucas had worked for his brother since he was old enough to hand Keith tools. Dan had always hated that, more because Keith defied his decree that the family not "get involved with the Lucas situation" than out of jealousy. But as the years passed and the town noted the closeness between the two, Dan's resentment had grown. He knew that it was mostly his fault. He could have forced Karen to take child support or at least insisted on helping out. She was strong willed, but she would have eventually taken his money. No, it was Dan's fault for creating a situation where the boy had to take a job just to help his mom get by. Dan had effectively shoved Lucas into Keith's all too willing arms.

"Well, I guess we can put you to work until Lucas shows up. If he shows up," Dan clarified, handing Nate a set of keys and a card with an address on it. Nathan stared at it a second before breaking out in a big grin. "I'm being punished by getting to drive one of the hottest cars you sell?" He could tell from the card that a customer needed their new GT delivered to their home, 25 minutes outside of Tree Hill. Nate was overjoyed that not only would he get to drive a powerful v8 sports car, but there would be no evil half brother in sight for over an hour of their shared punishment.

Dan shrugged his shoulders at his son's disbelief. He hated sending Nathan away, but if Nathan was out of the office when Lucas arrived it would give Dan a chance to talk to the boy alone, to try to work out some kind of peace agreement between the two of them.

"I know you love that car and I've got two people out sick. It would really help me out if you could drive the car over. I can have Rafe pick you up since he's getting some parts from the factory over there." Dan smiled at the grin that covered his son's face. Leave it to a 140,000 dollar sports car to make up for the confusion of the past few days. When Dan was that age all he'd dreamed about was a fast sports car and a pro contract. He didn't have either of those today and yet he'd found some happiness in life. It wasn't the perfect contentment he'd known with Karen when they were kids, but he was perfectly fine with life. Or so he told himself every night he lay alone in his too large bed.

Nodding enthusiastically, Nate grabbed the directions and the keys and headed for the door. "But Nate," Dan added, "I do expect you back at a decent time. Don't waste the entire night trying to avoid your brother." His son frowned at the word but rolled his eyes as he headed for the parking lot. Anything was better than being trapped at the dealership between his angry brother and his overpowering dad.

* * *

The tow truck slid to a stop in front of the massive chrome and glass doors. Keith killed the engine, searching for some kind of reassuring words to give his nephew, who looked like a gladiator about to become close personal friends with a lion. "Just remember that the more you speak, the bigger the hole you'll dig for yourself, Luke." Keith knew how stubborn Karen could be when she was on a mission. And from what Luke had told him, she was definitely determined to get Luke to open up to Dan.

Lucas refused to meet his Uncle's eyes, preferring to stare at the busy parking lot in front of him. It was hard to process all the changes: Keith getting married, his mother in collusion with Dan, and his best friend making cow eyes at his worst enemy. About the only good thing in his life was Brooke, he realized.

Keith leaned over and touched Lucas on the arm to get his attention. The boy was known for losing himself in introspection, but Keith was sincerely worried that his nephew was becoming too alienated from the rest of the people around him: his family, his teammates, his own peers at school.

"Do you want me to go in with you and explain to Danny why you are late?" he asked, knowing that Lucas didn't want to talk to his father any more than necessary. Lucas gave a slight shake of his head. He knew that Keith couldn't run interference between him and Dan for the rest of his life. Or at least the rest of the time he had left in Tree Hill.

Dan paused at the receptionist's desk, having pawned a lesser customer off on one of his salesmen. He stared through the huge glass windows at the front of the dealership and noticed his big brother's hulking truck parked in front of the doors. Staring, he saw his son in the front seat next to Keith, who was apparently cajoling his nephew to get out of the vehicle. Even from that distance, Dan could tell that Lucas was tense and unhappy about something. It bothered him to think that just being near his father caused the boy so much misery. Unable to watch his brother comfort his son, Dan abruptly turned around and headed for the comfort of his large office.

Lucas slowly made his way toward the large circular desk that dominated the immense showroom. A few stiffs in suits glared at him with narrow, disapproving eyes, taking in his shabby basketball shoes and faded grey hoodie. Lucas met their gazes defiantly, not caring if they clearly expected him to rob the joint. He shoved his clenched hands into the pouch of his sweatshirt as the receptionist wearily greeted him. "May I help you?" she asked, her tone clear that help was the last thing she had in mind for him.

He thought about leaving, opening the door and walking home despite what his mother would do to him . . . for a second before muttering a response. "I have to see Dan," he petulantly stated, making it clear from his tone that he wasn't there by choice. His downcast eyes watched absently as his worn rubber soul rubbed a spot on the shiny black marble floor.

The receptionist watched in fascination a moment, before answering. "Perhaps someone else could help you? I have an office manager that would be happy to take any request for money that you have," she offered, convinced the boy in front of her was there to ask for a donation for a sports league team, or perhaps a ward of the state home across town.

Luke's eyes narrowed at her inference that he wanted anything from Dan Scott or his business. "Look, I don't need to see an office manager, I need to see the arrogant ass who owns this place," he articulated slowly, enjoying the stunned look she gave in response to his crass description of Dan.

The raised voices in the showroom drew curious stares from around the room that were magnified when Dan magically appeared beside the poorly dressed teen. "Kathy, I see you've met my son, Lucas," he explained, noting the boy's reaction to his use of the word son.

The woman blanched at her boss's words, clearly not expecting the boy to be a relative. She'd only lived in town six months, and while she'd heard…rumors about another son, she'd never seen a picture of him. Or expected such a grungy looking individual to actually have ties to the impeccable Dan Scott. "Oh course," she stumbled, not sure how to explain that she had refused the boy entry to his father's office.

Dan watched in some confusion, not sure why Lucas was smirking at the woman or what the boy had done to upset his normally implacable receptionist. "Lucas, why don't we head back to my office?" Dan smoothly said, wanting to move this freak show away from his curious staff and customers. Lucas physically recoiled as Dan moved in close and attempted to put his arm around his shoulders. Dan smiled for the people in the showroom, the unsuccessful move still managing to look good from a distant. Dan had managed to avoid bad press regarding Lucas in the past and he didn't intend for half the town to hear the boy complaining now.

Grabbing his worn backpack off the floor, Lucas reluctantly followed the older man down a smooth hallway, to an even more ostentatious office. Not knowing much about décor, Lucas safely assumed that the style was early tacky revival. He stood there awkwardly, noting that Dan seemed almost as uncomfortable as he felt.

Settling himself behind his massive dark wood desk, Dan pointed to the black leather chairs that littered the floor space in front of his office. "There are chairs in case the standing aloofly thing gets old," he commented, only slightly satisfied when the boy sat with a thud.

Silence enveloped the room, as neither Dan nor Lucas attempted to start a conversation. Dan watched with interest as the boy stared at a spot on the wall, clearly bored and bothered with being trapped in the same room as his father.

"Nathan's not here," Dan awkwardly started, shattering the silence of the room. Lucas finally moved his gaze from the spot on the wall to look at Dan's face. "I mean, he was here, but then you weren't so I sent him on an errand." The words were slightly rushed and uncharacteristically rambly for Dan Scott.

"You mean I'm sitting here being tortured while Nathan roams the county, free to do as he wishes?" If he was angry before, he was growing furious with each passing moment. Luke hadn't even noticed his younger brother was missing, his mind still preoccupied with the news Keith had given him. Then again, he'd spent most of his life NOT noticing when Nathan was around.

"I just thought that we could hang out until Nathan returns," Dan offered, nearly cringing at how desperate his own words sounded. Lucas raised an eyebrow at the older man, fighting the urge to laugh in his face. "Hang out? I wouldn't 'hang out' with you if you were the last person on earth," he honestly retorted. Dan had made his life a living hell and Lucas didn't care what regrets the man now felt. Or supposedly felt. There had to be some motivating factor behind Dan's sudden interest in him, and it would only be a matter of time until Lucas figured out what that was.

Dan couldn't think of an appropriate response to that. He'd basically just told the ingrate that he wanted to spend some one on one time with him and gotten totally shut down. Dan hated when negotiations didn't go his way, but the idea of being out maneuvered by his own kid was nearly humiliating. "Well, for better or worse, you're stuck here until closing, so you might as well get used to the idea."

Slouching even lower in the plush leather chair, Lucas apathetically shrugged his shoulders. "You can force me to be here, but you can't force me to ever get used to the idea," he tersely stated. His eyes focused behind Dan, on the wall of pictures of him and Nathan. A lifetime of memories on a wall with no room for himself, he noted silently, stock piling the reasons for hating this man inside him.

Dan tried to find some appealing aspect of this situation to talk about. "This is a good chance for you to see how a business is run." Dan was one of the most successful businessmen in the state and he turned away dozens of requests a year for interns seeking to watch him in action. "Don't you want to be your own boss one day? You could learn a lot hanging around here," he noted. The Scott family was proven entrepreneurs, each generation making a success of their own ideas and business goals. Luke's own mother was cut from a similar fabric, having made a modest success out of her cooking skills with the Café.

Lucas died laughing at Dan's sense of self-importance. "You think highly of yourself, don't you?" he asked, not really wanting an answer to the rhetorical question. "You sell cars, Dan. You haven't discovered a cure for cancer or done anything other than help contribute to the size of the hole in the ozone layer."

Wincing at his words, Dan sat back in his chair, realizing what this boy was. "You're one of those tree hugging, granola eating, Birkenstock wearing environmentalists," he spat out, nearly sick at heart that he'd spawned a tree hugger.

Lucas smiled, knowing he'd found an area that could serve as future ammunition against the man. "I don't eat granola, but the rest is fairly true. You drive and sell SUV's that destroy the planet. I plan on going to college and doing something respectable for a living, something important." Anything that didn't involve manual labor or getting dirt under his fingernails, he thought.

"Fine. Go save the world while I make tons of money and employ dozens of people," Dan taunted, not liking how competitive he felt around his own child. "You'll find out that you can spend a lot of money getting an education to 'serve the world' and still struggle to pay the bills and eat."

"I've already faced that struggle most of my life, while you were off making 'tons of money," Lucas quietly observe red. "But it's nice to know that you had 'tons of money' to pay child support, but you just didn't care to."

His words were biting and vicious and totally accurate, Dan reflected. Paying child support would have been easy, if he'd just done it and not used it as leverage against Karen. He looked away, knowing he could never meet the boy's eyes on this topic. This childish arguing had not served any of his goals.

Their tense standoff was interrupted when an older man stuck his head in the door. "Dan, staff meeting in five," he said, before noticing Lucas. "Hey, Lucas. Great game against Somerset last week."

Lucas stared at the guy in confusion, not recognizing him as any of his teammate's fathers. "Rick Miller, Ashley's father. You came over last year to help her with that government project," he reminded, seeing the lack of recognition in the kid's eyes.

Ashley, the cute and quiet cheerleader he'd had class with last year. Lucas had only gone to her house twice, but he'd been amazed by the sheer number of rooms, and all the expensive furniture the place contained. Ashley wasn't flashy and he'd not been aware that her family had that much money. He just knew he didn't want a classmate coming over to his tiny house. The notion that her father worked for his nearly nauseated Luke.

Dan waved Rick off. "We'll be there in a few minutes." He didn't necessarily want to take Lucas into such a high level meeting, but Dan was afraid of what the boy would do in his absence. He grabbed his notes and headed toward the large conference room, toward the back of the building. "Let's go. You can stop and get a drink or some snacks on the way," he offered, hoping that food might make his son behave.

Finally Lucas stood up and lethargically followed Dan out of his office. He'd rather have nails driven through his fingers than sit through any kind of meeting but the offer of food was too much to pass up. He followed docilely behind Dan as the man schmoozed his way through the lobby, greeting customers and lesser employees alike. Sighing, Lucas paused at a table full of food and prepared himself for Dan Scott's next performance.

Nathan bounced into the office, on a natural high after driving the GT around town. He was only 30 minutes later than Dan had given him, but the time had gone so fast as he tested the engine on the back roads of town. Smiling, Nate gave employees and customers alike curt nods of acknowledgement, playing the dutiful sports hero.

Through the huge glass windows on the side of Dan's office, Lucas watched Nathan as he swaggered through the dealership with an immense aura of belonging. While employees and customers had look at Lucas with disdain, those same people were now falling over themselves to greet his half brother. Lucas lowered his eyes and once again felt inadequate. He knew it was stupid, but he was also tired of fighting the town's attitude toward him and his mother. He was a better person than Nathan in many ways, but he was rarely treated better than the Pete, the town drunk and pariah.

Walking into his dad's office, Nathan abruptly stopped smiling as his eyes met Luke's. His half brother sat at the small conference table sorting various glossy car brochures. "I'm glad to see you're handling the important things," Nate remarked, knowing that he was poking an already unhappy beast. Luke stopped what he was doing and glared at his younger brother. "I'd talk, errand boy."

Nate dropped into the seat across the table from Luke and smiled. "My errand involved careening around town in a GT at 90 miles per hour," he said, revealing in the angry frown that cover Luke's features. "I guess that's a bit better than shuffling paper. Maybe if you do a good job, Dad will buy you a burger or something."

Luke leaned back, his menial task already forgotten. "I guess that would be the first thing he's ever gotten me," Luke said, shrugging his shoulders. He couldn't afford to get into another fight with the idiot and there were some points that Lucas couldn't argue. Dan had never provided him for him while he'd spoiled Nathan senseless.

Dan walked into the room and smiled upon seeing his boys together, having a civil conversation. "How was the drive over?" His smile faltered a bit when he saw Luke's angry face. No doubt Dan had offended him for the millionth time that afternoon. The boy was so incredibly touchy that it was impossible to speak without offending him.

Nate leaned back in his chair and smiled at his dad. "The customer is thrilled with the car. I think I need one of those for Christmas," he suggested, frowning when Dan laughed in his face.

Lucas rolled his eyes as he continued shoving brochures down his make shift paper assembly line. "Why make him wait for Christmas?" The sarcasm rolled off his words and he knew he sounded bitter. Not that it bothered him much because he WAS bitter. He'd struggled for most of his life just to have shoes without holes and Nathan had never wanted for anything. Every whim he had was instantly gratified. The silence in the office grew, as Dan shifted nervously before his two boys.

"No way I am buying you a sports car that costs 140,000," Dan retorted, wondering if Nathan knew how long it took to accumulate that many dollars. Probably not, he reasoned, realizing that he'd spoiled Nathan over the years. He could justify the tricked out Navigator because it was a repo'd unit that his son had fallen in love with. That had taken the initial bite off the price. But there was no way he was buying Nathan another new car. And comparing Lucas' simple lifestyle with his younger son's expectations, Dan knew he needed to make some changes.

Trying to change the topic of conversation away from money, Dan nodded to where Lucas kept shoving brochures together. "You've got a few more hours to go, Nate. Lucas can explain what he's doing and you can help him until it's finished. That should eat up the rest of the night," he explained, before walking out the door. It was good to find any kind of activity that required one brother to talk to the other. Basketball hadn't pulled any kind of teamwork out of the boys but hopefully being forced to work together outside of sports would help their on court performance. He smiled at the idea, realizing that Karen was brilliant. He'd always known she was smart, but her uncanny ability to understand what motivated a person really was a great talent to possess. He smiled as he walked through the showroom toward the wife of a powerful local businessman. Yes, Karen was a special person, he thought as he absently walked the woman through the finer details of the car in front of them.

* * *

Brooke ran up the stairs, the sound of her heels tapping against the marble echoing through the ornate foyer. Slamming the door to her room behind her, Brooke dumped her cheerleading bag on the floor and relaxed, knowing that she had the house to herself for a few days. A few days of precious, safe solitude.

She moved around the room, flipping on her CD player to disrupt the oppression echo of her feet on the floor. There was solitude and then there was tomb quality quiet. As the local station blared some inane commercial, Brooke noticed the ornately wrapped present on her make up table. She slowly moved toward the package, as if circling a deadly snake.

Finally tired of the dread that was slowly building inside her, Brooke carelessly yanked the card from the top of the box, plucking it from the cascades of ribbons that suffocated the lid. She slid the heavy card from its expensive linen sleeve, hands shaking when she recognized the handwriting.

_Brookie,_

_Your mother and I will return in a few days. I wanted to leave you with a small token of my affection. _

_Think of me when you wear it. –Trey_

She dropped the note out of disgust, nearly afraid to open the box and find the contents. She watched as the linen note fluttered to the ground, ending face up, the message hounding her from its place at her feet. Snatching the box off her table, she ripped the lid from it and pushed aside the mounds of tissues. Her stomach clenched as the contents of the box were revealed. A lacy demi cut bra and a scandalously small black lace thong lay nestled in there among the layers of tissue. Brooke dropped the box and ran to her bathroom, reaching the toilet just in time to throw up what little she'd had for lunch.

An hour later, she still lay next to the toilet, unable to move from the cold marble floor. From her position in the bathroom, she could still see the box, lying on her bedroom floor, reminding her of the precarious situation she was in. She wanted to move, to take action. But she knew there was no one to call, no one she could tell. Who would understand a stepfather that gave her underwear suitable for a prostitute? Or a stepbrother who still called her late at night wanting to "relive their night of passion."

She finally pulled herself into a sitting position, leaning back against the marble Jacuzzi tub. There had to be a way to handle this, to make sure that Trey stayed away from her and that J.J. stopped calling her. Finally, she couldn't handle it any more. She ran over to the offending box and snatched it up, throwing it into her trashcan. Leaning back into the corner of the room, she finally let a single tear fall, before shutting her mind down by finishing off the bottle of vodka.

* * *

"Closing time," Dan cheerfully called out, shutting his computer down. Nathan groaned in relief, flexing his long arms, while Lucas just rolled his eyes at Dan's forced, jovial tone.

Nathan grabbed his keys and rushed to the door. "I've got to go run some errands. I'll be home later dad," he said, only pausing for a second for confirmation that he was free to go. Lucas quietly grabbed his backpack and was almost out the door when Dan's voice stopped him.

"Lucas wait!" Dan said, bringing the boy to a reluctant halt. "Are you planning on walking home? I know you don't have a car. . ." His voice faltered and he stopped speaking. Talk about putting his foot in his mouth, he thought.

Lucas sighed, realizing he'd missed his chance to escape. "Maybe you can buy me a GT so I can get away from you faster," he snarked, before walking out the door. Dan grabbed his keys and some paperwork he needed to finish and ran after him, nodding to his receptionist on the way out the front door.

"Lucas, you can't walk home," he said, his long legs catching up to his son in short time. The sky hinted of a late fall rainstorm making the stray leaves that littered the parking lot dance under the parking lot lights. "It's nearly dark and there aren't sidewalks all the way over to your side of town." He noticed that Luke's shoulders hunched up at the words "your side of town".

Lucas stopped dead in his tracks, allowing the crisp fall air to swirl around them. "In case you haven't noticed, I tend to walk everywhere. It's only a couple of miles," he replied, not wanting to spend another second in the man's presence. His progress toward the road was abruptly stopped as Dan reached out and grabbed Luke's arm.

Dan sighed in frustration and herded the boy over to his new Escalade. "I'm driving you home, no argument," he firmly replied. Lucas had reluctantly complied every time Dan used that authoritative tone earlier in the day, and he decided it was a good tool to use again. "Besides, your mother would skin me a live if I let you walk along side such a busy road."

Lucas smiled at the idea of Karen literally taking a knife to Dan Scott's over inflated hide before he unenthusiastically got in the plush SUV. It had been a long night and the vodka he'd consumed had made him tired. The walk home would be hard under normal circumstances, but with the impending rain and the late hour, Lucas gave in.

The drive was tense, the only sound in the SUV being the soft 80's rock that poured out of the state of the art sound system. Dan looked over at Lucas, who was staring at his backpack for lack of anything better to look at. "Are you hungry?" Dan suddenly asked, not sure if it was too late for Lucas to get dinner at home. He was fairly certain that after spending all day cooking for customers, Karen probably didn't feel like making dinner for her son. And since Lucas had been with him at the dealership all day, he'd missed the chance to stop by the Café for a meal. "I can stop and pick something up for us, or we could even stop someplace and sit down to eat," he offered uncertainly.

Lucas snorted and finally looked up at the older man. "You can take this personally if you'd like, but I don't want to do anything that means spending an extra second with you," Lucas explained, his voice conveying nothing but contempt. Though his grumbling stomach betrayed him, Lucas ignored the physical pains of hunger, focusing on the fact that he was nearly free. He surreptitiously glanced at Dan and nearly felt guilty at the hurt expression that resided on the man's face.

"Fine, I'll get you home as fast as possible," he tersely replied. He'd tried to be nice to kid; he'd forced Lucas into conversation for most of the day. And instead of being more comfortable around each other, things actually seemed worse. Dan knew he'd hurt the boy in unimaginable ways, and that it was going to take a long time to win his son's trust and affection. But he wondered if it was worth it. Nathan was upset, Lucas was stressed out and he and Karen were emotionally exhausted after only a few days of 'the plan'.

They listened to the radio as the SUV made its way to other 'other side' of town. A smile crossed Dan's face as a particular tune made its way out of the speakers. Lucas studied him for a moment, noting that Dan seemed almost gentle while the stupid pop song played. Realizing that his son was staring at him, Dan attempted to clarify. "There was this awful band that played that song at my senior prom. They played it six times in three hours," he laughed, lost in memories of the past, memories of his time with Karen.

Lucas shrugged, not the least bit interested in Dan's reminiscing. "Is that the night you knocked up my mother and left her to raise your kid alone?" he cruelly asked, not caring if it upset his father or not. When was Dan ever concerned with hurting Lucas?

The SUV stopped suddenly outside Luke's house. He slowly turned to face the angry youth, resigned that perhaps it was too late to make amends. "I know that I've hurt you," he began before Lucas cut him off.

"You definitely have a firm grasp of the obvious," Luke retorted, thinking that was the understatement of the century.

Dan forced himself to continue, despite his son's vicious attitude. "I've apologized to you for that, Lucas. I'll keep apologizing until you don't need to hear it anymore. But you need to understand that you aren't running me off with words," Dan explained, his voice growing softer. He'd made a promise to Karen and for once in his life he wasn't going to disappoint her.

Lucas grabbed his backpack and opened the door, hesitating before slamming it shut in Dan's face. "I don't care what you think or say. I used to think all I needed was a father, but it's too late. I definitely don't need you," he said, before slamming the door and running up the stairs of the house and around the porch to his room. He was safe. He might not have much, but he had his own room, which was his personal sanctuary from Dan Scott.

Dan watched his son's lanky frame disappear and slowly drove off, realizing that tonight's battle was over. But there was always tomorrow. He smiled, knowing he was too tenacious to let Luke run him off. He cranked the volume of the radio up and let himself get lost in the music and the memories of a happier time.

* * *

Thanks for reading. I know it was a long chapter. I hate making you all read so much, so I'll try to keep future chapters much shorter!

Next:

Dan gets something for Karen, who isn't very impressed

Lucas and Brooke discuss the similarity between falling leaves and their lives

Haley and Nathan get sweet


	19. Chapter 19

* * *

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 18

* * *

Lucas stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep from his eyes despite having already showered and dressed for school. He was hoping he could grab a piece of toast and sneak out of the house before his mom noticed he was up. That thought was dashed as she turned to greet him as he moved sullenly into the kitchen.

"You're up bright and early," she remarked, smiling at him for a second before pulling him into a reluctant hug. As a young, single mother Karen had promised herself that she would always send her son off to school with a warm meal and a hug. That idea had gotten her through the guilt of working long hours and forcing Lucas to spend much of his young life at her workplace, while other kids were playing around the neighborhood.

It meant a lot to Karen that she could spend the beginning and end of each day with her boy.

Lucas ignored her greeting and dropped expectantly into one of their worn dining chairs. He wasn't going to be able to avoid her, so he might as well make it as painless as possible. Lucas silently took a steaming plate of eggs and moved over so she could join him at their small table.

The past week had been so trauma free that Karen felt her joint effort with Dan had paid off quite well. The boys were back at basketball practice and there'd been no reported fights or altercations between them for almost a week. Lucas refused to talk to her about how he'd spent his time at the dealership, but Dan had said that the night had gone well and that they'd at least begun the process of getting to know each other.

"Are you planning to stop by the café tonight for dinner?" she asked, trying to force him into conversation. Lucas had been so quiet since lately, much quieter that he usually was. She'd accepted early on that her son was introspective with a silent, inquiring nature. But the events of the past week resulted in Luke's near withdrawal from their small family of two. She was unaccustomed to being on the receiving end of her son's silence.

"Yeah, I guess I'll be there." Lucas shoved his eggs around his plate, having completely lost his appetite. He avoided his mother's gaze, more out of confusion than disrespect. Being near Dan had completely unnerved him. As a small child, Lucas didn't understand why he didn't have a daddy like everyone else. But by middle school he understood that he had a father who just didn't want him. And he'd built his entire worldview around that concept. He was angry that his mother expected him to flip some sort of hidden "Dan switch" and be fine about having the man in his life.

Karen frowned at his lackluster tone, but decided to plunge ahead anyway. "Well, we're going to have some guests tonight," she began, waiting for his reaction.

"Yeah?" He shrugged his shoulders, thinking that his mother must be fairly desperate to resort to this level of inanity.

Setting her fork down, Karen moved forward and touched his hand. "From now on, Dan and Nate will be joining us for dinner on Monday night." She watched him and slowly counted the exaggerated sound of the old kitchen clock ticking in the background.

"What?" he incredulously asked, anger coloring his otherwise handsome features. "Why would you do that? I've not done anything to deserve being forced to hang out with them," he argued, knowing that he'd taken special care not to get close enough to Nathan to start a fight.

She sighed in frustration, knowing that Lucas didn't get the point. "Dan and I," she began, only to be cut off from her son.

"When did you get cozy with Dan Scott?" he demanded. He stood up abruptly, knocking his chair over in the process. Karen rose as well, matching him step for step.

"I got cozy with Dan when you decided to become a juvenile delinquent, starting fights during school events," she reminded him, upset that Lucas wouldn't even try to get to know his father and brother.

He gingerly picked up the old chair from the floor. No sense in killing what little furniture they had. "Are you still upset about that stupid fight? You need to accept that guys fight, mom. Maybe you never wanted to kick some cheerleader's ass, but guys fight." He leaned back against their old, yellow refrigerator, knowing that Nathan probably had some nice, new model that popped ice cubes out the front door.

Karen shook her head at his words. For a bright boy, Lucas could be completely obtuse when he wanted to be. "It's not just the fight, Lucas. You have an unnatural hatred toward your brother. I know that I didn't encourage you to vent your feelings about Dan over the years, but Nate doesn't deserve your hate. Dan doesn't even deserve all the anger you've built up over the years." She slowly exhaled, realizing it was the first time she'd publicly admitted that she'd failed as a mother. Her own anger at Dan had been unconsciously manifested in her son. It was only when she'd seen Lucas brawling with Nathan at the game that she'd truly understood how much hate her son had bottled up over the years. Her own negative comments about Dan had certainly not helped the situation either. But Lucas needed to realize that while Dan was culpable for his actions, Nathan was a pawn like Lucas.

Biting back a few choice words, Lucas stared at her sadly. "You'll never know half of what Nathan has done to me over the years because I've kept most of it from you, mom. The comments behind my back in junior leagues, telling me that I wasn't good enough to be his brother, calling me 'bastard' every chance he gets…those are all things I've kept from you in order to protect you," he yelled, unable to contain his fury.

Wiping a tear from her eye, Karen's heart constricted at his words. She'd suspected that Nathan was a ringleader of cruelty regarding her son, but she'd never expected that Lucas has endured so much for so many years. Yet Nathan was just a boy, who'd suffered his own pain throughout life. She couldn't bring herself to hate him, just his cruel actions.

"It's not your job to protect me, Lucas. I can take care of myself," she asserted, knowing that was the absolute truth. She'd found out just how strong she could be that night 16 years ago. "But I can protect you. The best way to do that is to help you get rid of this anger you have for your brother and father. I know they've hurt you in the past, but can you at least try to give them another chance? To let them make amends?" Karen believed that the path to contentment always passed through forgiveness.

"No," he simply said, before walking over to where his backpack sat, next to their dilapidated kitchen table. He paused a moment, realizing that that stupid table symbolized his life: tattered, shaky and totally worn out. "Dan can kiss my ass and show up for every dinner between now and the final coming and I won't ever forgive him," Lucas declared, before walking out the door.

Karen stared after him, stunned at the tone of his voice. She slumped back into a worn chair, toying with her chipped coffee mug. In some ways, she could understand Luke's confusion and resentment at the sudden contact with Dan. But she also felt sorry for her ex boyfriend. He was sincerely trying to get to know Lucas. Karen couldn't help but wonder how brazenly disrespectful Lucas had been the night he'd spent at the dealership. She shoved the cup away and stood up, resolutely moving forward. She knew that Luke's short term pain and resentment would be worth it in the long run. She just had to herd him toward that destination, and give him all the love and support she could.

Brooke and Lucas sat outside during Lunch, sheltered away from the rest of their noisy peers under the large oak tree at the edge of the quad. Ignoring the food that he'd sweetly packed for her, Brooke's intensity rivaled that of the fall sun that shown down on them.

* * *

"Your mother is NOT right," she said, emphatically stating the truth. She could tell that it was beginning to wear Lucas down, being surrounded by everyone who thought he should give Dan a chance. Some people didn't deserve second chances. They'd only hurt you again, so why bother, she reasoned.

Lucas looked down at his forgotten lunch, still confused and distraught. His mother had always supported him, and Lucas never dreamed she would be telling him to try to let Dan in. He distractedly played with a fallen leaf, its amber edges slightly curled inward toward the center vein running down the center.

Brooke watched his sturdy hand swish the fallen leaf to and fro. She took in the piles of leaves, signally that shortly their outside refuge would turn cold and forbidding as winter eclipsed the green courtyard. "Don't you wish you could be like a leaf sometimes?" she suddenly asked, breaking their companionable silence.

"Huh?" Lucas looked over at her, not sure he understood her meaning. He was beginning to realize that Brooke possessed a depth of thought that few people truly understood or appreciated. Once they'd decided to stop eating lunch with Nathan and Haley, the two had spent their lunch break away from the crowd, getting to know each other. Lucas had only worked off a week of his 3-week grounding. But he hoped by the time he was ungrounded that they'd know each other well enough to go out on a special first date. He smiled at the thought. After paying his car insurance, Lucas had saved enough money to take Brooke out to a movie and a nice dinner.

Brooke reached out and plucked an auburn colored leaf from the pile, her French manicured nail gently tracing the central vein. "Leaves are the ultimate examples of survival. They are born green and through out the warm seasons, they flourish. But when winter comes and life gets too harsh and cold to deal with, they curl up and collapse inward, accepting defeat and moving on."

Her words were solemn, her expression distant and lonely. Lucas reached over and clasped his hand around hers in support. "But that's not really survival, Brooke. That's kind of like a really, really short life cycle." Her hand was so small and gentle in his, he thought, caressing it as he listened to her words.

Brooke's pink clad shoulders shrugged minutely, her hand gently squeezing his in return. "But isn't the ultimate in survival knowing when you've had enough, when life is too cold to endure and gracefully submitting to your destiny?"

The image of the expensive box of lingerie lingered in her mind a moment, before she shoved it from her thoughts. It had taken her nearly two full days to remove the offending gift. The thought of touching it, acknowledging it was nearly as gross as having to look at every time she was in her room. She'd since avoided every call placed to her bedroom's telephone line, letting her stepfather's words assault her voice mail and not her ears. Of course, he'd be back. She had no way of permanently getting rid of the guy. But Brooke figured that the marriage would crash and burn within a year. And if not, there was always college. She wished she could go visit her daddy, but he'd gently suggested to her last night that now wasn't a good time to visit. Of course, there was never a good time to visit, she regretfully thought.

Lucas stopped for a moment and considered both her words and the distance look on her beautiful face. "I guess that it is kind of a wasted effort to fight some times. I mean, I know it's futile to try to stop my mom from having these stupid dinners with Dan and Nate. But that doesn't stop me from trying. And for hating the idea with every bone in my body."

Her words were soft, yet carried the weight of the world with them. "I'm tired of trying, Lucas. I mean, I'm always ready to fight the good fight, but it's like that Don Quixote guy and those windmills. I'm smart enough to know that I can't stop the inevitable." It was only inevitable that her stepfather would get to her. Just like J.J. had that night.

Pulling her closer to him, Lucas nuzzled her hair, breathing in the heady fruited scent. "What pisses me off is that my mom acts like the past didn't happen," he said, obsessing about the situation, despite her calming presence. "She's the one that one that constantly referred to Dan as a snake for as long as I can remember. Mom is the one that spent my childhood explaining that Dan couldn't be my father because he had another family." Lucas was upset, but he was confused too. He didn't understand how Karen's anger toward Dan could be erased by a few meaningless words from the man. But Lucas remembered all the late night talks about Dan that he'd overheard Karen and Keith share. He'd heard his mother rant and rave about Dan's callous behavior toward her and Luke. He gave up trying to understand and wrapped his arms around her waist, closing his eyes in search of peace.

Brooke rubbed the back of his head, playing with the close-cropped hair at the nape of his neck. "Parent's are just human, Luke. They lie and cheat and scheme just like everyone else," she commented, thinking about her father's cheating and her mother's lies.

Lucas stared at her, hearing the depth of pain and disillusionment in her tone. "Is this about your step dad?" Despite a week of pushing and attempting to cajole information out of her, Brooke had barely mentioned her creepy stepfather. Lucas squinted down at her, convinced something serious was going on in the stately Davis mansion. Brooke's eyes were almost…haunted and the dark circles there were growing with each passing day.

She avoided his eyes and tried to move away from him, but he refused to let her hand go. "Is this guy hurting you?" Lucas quietly asked, his suspicious nature fully engaged. "You can trust me, Brooke. I want you to trust me enough to tell me what's hurting you, especially since it's obvious that you are scared."

She looked up at him and then leaned back into his side. "Trust me when I say that you are about the only person left in my life that I have any faith in," she softly replied, hating that she sounded so small and vulnerable at that moment.

Lucas dropped a kiss on her forehead and pulled her closer to him, blocking out the sounds of the world around them. "I want you to know that I'd do anything to protect you, Brooke, anything." He would protect her like he wished someone could protect him from Dan Scott.

* * *

Thanks for all the awesome reviews for the last chapter. This one was a bit short, but I can always post more later. Replies and speculation are always appreciated.

* * *


	20. Chapter 20

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 19

* * *

Dan shifted the various bags into his left hand and pushed the door to the Café open. It was late afternoon and the Café was still recovering from the lunch rush. Dan had to give Karen credit. She'd managed to take a small budget and her tremendous culinary skills and turn a risky venture into a success. Nodding at a random busboy, Dan proceeded to the now deserted counter and watched as Karen approached him.

Sighing, Karen dropped her apron onto the counter and smiled at Dan. "Did all your shopping work up an appetite?" she jokingly asked, gesturing toward all the bags at Dan's feet. He returned her warm smile, grateful that she was still being kind to him. Dan had spent the past week worrying that Lucas would turn Karen against him, and somehow convince his mother that Dan had tortured him during the time at his dealership.

"Actually, the bags are full of basketball stuff for the upcoming season," he explained, knowing that Karen was still new to the world of high school basketball. Or at least to the new face of high school sports. "4 pairs of shoes, practice jerseys, warm ups, equipment bags, and just about anything else you can think to put a Ravens logo on."

Karen visibly gulped at the loot on the floor of her café. After Lucas had been asked to join the team, Whitey had sent her an official form letter noting the parental costs associated with having a varsity player on the state's premier basketball team. Apparently, the school no longer covered the expansive expenses now required for a state ranked team. Karen remembered feeling relieved that Lucas had missed the exclusive summer camp the players attended in June to "warm up" for the season. At 2000.00 per week, Lucas could take on the entire Rivercourt and save his college fund instead.

But the costs were still staggering. Besides all the equipment that Dan had picked up, there were hotel fees for away tournaments and travel expenses that the team requested be paid up front, at a cost of 3000.00. She looked up at Dan and smiled. "I guess things have changed from when you nearly won state with a single pair of Nikes, huh?" Back when times were simple.

He considered her words a moment. "It really has gotten insane. I'm surprised Nathan doesn't have an agent yet," he revealed. Dan was still fighting off scouts though. And his son wasn't even close to college yet. "But high school sports feed college sports, and there's a lot of money to be made."

"And a lot of money to pay for a stupid sport," she snorted, automatically pouring him a cup of black coffee. The truth was that Karen was stalling on the money issue. She'd started saving when she'd read the letter, but that was a serious amount of money to collect in a short amount of time. As much as she hated to, Karen knew that she was going to have to resort to asking the boosters for help in covering part of Luke's expenses. The boosters run by her long time rival Shari. If there was one thing Karen couldn't handle it was asking for help from people she hated. Dan had proved that point when Lucas was born.

Setting his cup down, Dan finally met her gaze. "Uh, I kind of figured the upfront costs would be hard for you to cover," he muttered, knowing that he was going to get yelled at. Karen was fiercely independent and hated that the town knew she struggled in providing the basics for her son.

Predictability, Karen bristled at his words and stepped away from the counter in anger. "I've managed to support my son his entire life. We don't need your pity now," she retorted, glad that the café's dinner crowd was still hours away. All she needed was gossip of her inability to pay for her son's basketball expenses circulating at the country club.

Dan stared at his shiny black shoes for a moment, knowing that Karen was the only person on the planet who could make him feel like dirt for doing the right thing. "Too late," he admitted, glancing at the bags that surrounded him. Karen's brow creased as she realized what he'd done. "You paid for Luke's stuff?" It was not really a question she had to ask. She knew Dan well enough to know when he was plotting.

"I went to pay for Nate's equipment and fees and noticed that Luke's name was still on the list of unpaid kids. I had my check book out, so I just wrote one check for both boys," he explained, his own anger growing at her irrational response. "What's the big deal, Karen? I know the cost would put a strain on you and I can easily afford to pay for Luke's fees and equipment." Dan avoided the issue that Karen wouldn't have had a money crunch if he'd supported his own child in the past.

She stalked around the counter and got right up in Dan's face. "The big deal is that I was working on getting the money together, and you've taken that option away from me. Lucas is not your responsibility; he's mine. And he'll be furious if he finds out that you paid for his expenses. I'd go so far as to say that he'd quit the team." She turned to walk off when Dan suddenly reached out and grabbed Karen's hand, pulling her back to where he stood.

They stood there, trapped in time, separated by little more than an inch. Dan slowly exhaled, realizing how close they were, how well her tiny body still fit next to his. Silence pervaded the room; the only sound he heard was the soft breathing of the woman next to him. Dan finally came to his senses and dropped her hand, instantly missing the soft skin of her small palm. "Karen, I didn't pay for Luke's expenses to embarrass you or to put you in my debt. It just felt…" his words trailed off and Karen found herself drawn to his unfinished thought. "What?" she gently asked, still close enough to notice that look he got whenever he was perplexed.

"It felt natural," he finally conceded, feeling somewhat freed by the thoughts that had plagued him since he'd written that check. "It felt normal just to handle him like I handled Nathan, without having to separate and compartmentalize my thoughts and actions." He looked down at her face and watched her reaction to his words.

Karen was slightly taken back. She knew that guilt was a prime motivating factor in Dan's sudden change of heart regarding his eldest son, but she could also sense the pain Dan's past decisions had caused him. "Dan…" she began, knowing that Lucas would be furious to know she'd allowed Dan to pay something.

"I just like knowing that I did something for him," he finished, even if it was something as lame as paying for his basketball expenses. He wanted to get to know the boy but Lucas was so moody and distant around him that it was nearly impossible for him to get passed the blatant hostility his son projected. If Dan could contribute, even anonymously to his son's happiness, then he'd have to settle for that.

Karen moved a few steps away, not liking how muddled her thoughts were around Dan. Or how the scent of his cologne made her want to get even closer to him. She was losing her mind, she thought, knowing that it was always best to keep a safe distance from the man. He'd always been able to affect her this way, which was part of the reason she had avoided him the past 15 years.

Walking behind the counter, she attempted to clear her thoughts and deal with the situation at hand. "Lucas can't find out," she finally said, not liking the situation at all, but knowing that she'd be hard pressed to come up with that much money. Her stomach clenched at the idea of taking money from him, but she knew how much basketball meant to Lucas. He'd started to come out of the shell he'd withdrawn to years ago and the team had been largely responsible for that. While Karen had been an overachiever in extracurricular events, her son had never gotten involved. Now Luke had something to do after school and on weekends beside work for his uncle. He had kids his age that hung out with him at the café and apparently, based on what she'd seen, he had Brooke. She couldn't help but smile at the idea of her little boy having a girlfriend.

Dan watched Karen's eyes go from upset to happy and he wondered what thoughts dwelled behind her very blue eyes. "I may not be great, but you have to admit you'd rather let me take care of it than rely on Shari and the boosters," he said, his smile growing as Karen's eyes narrowed in disgust.

"It's been 16 years. You'd think being older and a parent would make me more tolerant," Karen admitted. The idea of having to rely on a group under her high school rival's control made her sick. "You might be evil, Dan. But you are the lesser of two evils when compared with Shari." Shari who'd spent four years of high school trying to steal Dan away from her.

Dan leaned over the counter and relaxed his shoulders for the first time that day. He just knew things could work out, if he just put enough energy into making this work. "Oh you'll get your chance to work with Shari. Just because you don't have to ask the boosters for help doesn't mean you won't have to work their events. Even I can't get out that," he revealed, knowing that between all the various events the boosters ran, that he and Karen would be seeing a lot of each other.

Their heads turned in unison as the door to the café opened. Keith walked in and stopped in his tracks at the sight of his brother and Karen together, sharing a laugh. Things were definitely changing, he thought. He approached them slowly, taking notice of how Karen pulled away from the counter, increasing the distance between herself and Dan. He frowned a moment. Karen almost looked…guilty, for lack of a better word.

"Lucas is right. You two have lost it," he announced, stopping in front of the counter. Dan hesitated, never sure just how direct an impact his words would have on his older brother. Communication was always a problem for them. They had a complicated relationship that bordered on hate, yet mitigated by a brotherly bond of love.

"Maybe you're just having a flashback," Dan suggested, before correcting himself. "No wait, that's LSD, you just drink." It was a none too subtle reference to the night of the accident. Dan knew his brother wasn't legally drunk, but his actions had still put Luke's life in danger. Even with his callous disinterest in Lucas, Dan had never blatantly risked the boy's life.

"Or maybe I'm just too busy playing father to all your illegitimate kids," Keith snapped, fed up with Dan's attitude. Karen quickly moved between, once again taking on the role of buffer just as she'd played all those years ago. Dan quickly stood up and squared his broad shoulders off toward his brother. "What's your compliant now, Keith?"

Keith stood his ground, never intimidated by Dan's bravado. "Do you have any idea what you are doing to Lucas?"

* * *

Haley sighed as the last bell of the day rang out, causing her fellow students to scatter in all directions. She slowly made her way to her locker, knowing that Lucas wouldn't be waiting for her and there would be no walk to the café for an after school snack. In fact, since their last argument about that night at the café, the two friends had barely said a word to one another. Lucas had made it abundantly clear that he didn't want to talk things out with her and she'd already been replaced as his lunch partner by the ever perky and scantily clad Brooke.

She grabbed the last book she needed for homework and bent over to shove it in her backpack. Straightening up, she jumped back feeling someone overly close to her. She looked up at Nathan who had silently walked up behind her, taking in her overly curvy features as he leered at her from behind.

"Hey," he quietly said, smiling at how flustered she still got around him. Nathan felt like he'd given her a tiny part of his soul, revealing things about his feelings and his family that he'd never shared with anyone. And it amazed him that Haley was still shy in his presence. "I thought maybe I could give you a ride home, since we don't have practice today."

She blushed, feeling an unexpected heat move up her spine. Something about Nathan brought out feelings in her that she'd only read about in the trashy romance novels her older sisters left laying around the house. "That would be nice, but I have to get to work."

Disappointed, Nate nonetheless picked up her backpack for her and grabbed her hand. "I can at least drive you to work," he offered, liking the feel of her small hand in his. They walked along making small talk; drawing the curious stares of everyone they passed in the hallway. Nate responded to their stares by moving closer to her, making it obvious that he was more than friends with Haley. More than friends in a friends kind of way, he decided. For some reason, Nathan Scott, ladies man, couldn't close the deal with Haley James.

Despite spending all week eating lunch together, Nathan was too intimidated to ask her out on a real date. He'd never experienced such indecision before with a girl. Smiling, he gently squeezed her hand. Haley James wasn't just a girl, she was a special girl.

Haley smiled at his tender actions toward her. She was a sucker for any guy that held a door open or displayed any other 'gentlemanly' quality. He'd made her day simply by caring her backpack for her. She smiled at a girl in hallway that she shared gym class with. If people were shocked that she'd been eating lunch with Nathan, they were down right stunned to see them holding hands. Something in her heart fluttered, as every daydream she'd ever had felt like it was coming true. Smiling at Nate, she forced herself to calm down, to not act so inexperienced and awed by his presence in her life.

As they made their way toward his Navigator, they spied Lucas and Brooke speeding out of the parking lot in her convertible. Lucas made brief eye contact with Haley, disappointment clearly shining his eyes. Haley's shoulders slumped, and she leaned back against the side of his SUV in anger. Nate considered hugging her, but opted against it.

"He's really upset you," he commented, not wanting to risk saying anything more about his half brother.

Haley nodded, knowing it was more of a statement than a question. "I'm so angry at him for the comments he said that night. But I miss my best friend," she confessed, honestly thinking their friendship was strong enough to with stand most obstacles. "I just can't bring myself to talk to him. He's not even apologized for humiliating me."

Nate considered her words as he opened the door to the Navigator and tossed their backpacks inside. "If you really want this to be over, then you need to make the first move," he suggested, trying to be helpful yet distant. He didn't want Haley to think he was picking on Lucas.

Haley's eyes narrowed at his words. "Maybe I don't want to apologize. I'm sick of always being the rational peacemaker. And I'm really upset with how inconsiderate he's been since he started seeing Brooke," she said. It's like a pod person had moved into Luke's body since that girl had usurped her place as his constant companion.

"I'm not sure it's Brooke, Haley. She's not the antichrist or anything," Nathan said, feeling the need to defend his lifelong friend for some reason. "If it's any consolation, Brooke's giving me the cold shoulder, too." He was upset about her distance, but he was also grateful that he was now free to spend time with Haley. He'd come to look forward to their time spent eating or tutoring together.

"It's like everything is changing and nothing makes sense anymore," she complained, sliding her seatbelt on as he slowly maneuvered his way out of the school's parking lot.

Nathan glanced over at her, loving the way her brow creased slightly when she was confused or lost in thought. He gave into temptation and slowly ran his finger across her brow, smoothing the silky skin out as his hand moved over her forehead. Haley smiled as he removed his hand, fighting the urge to nibble on the strong fingers that now gripped the steering wheel.

"Talk about bizarre. What about this dinner thing tonight at the café?" he asked, purposefully driving slow, in order to spend more time with her. "Are you going to be there?" he asked, suddenly realizing that Haley worked with Karen.

"What dinner?" Haley asked in confusion.

Nathan pulled up in front of the Café, frustrated by how fast the drive had ended. "Yeah, my dad's latest bonding effort includes the two of us eating with Karen and Lucas every Monday," he revealed, still angry from his dad agreeing to this stupid thing. Nathan was already sick of Lucas after spending practice, games and the school day with him. These dinners weren't going to fix 16 years of hatred.

"Wow," Haley said, not realizing how serious Karen was about fixing her son's family problems. "Lucas is not going to handle this well at all." She looked down at her watch, noting she had less than five minutes to start her shift. "I guess we should look at the positive aspects of this…"

Nathan frowned at words, totally incapable of finding anything positive in sharing his free time and his father with Lucas. "Okay, Pollyanna. What can we find to be "glad" about?"

She smiled at his movie reference, knowing that she was famous for her upbeat attitude at school, even if it did obscure her natural sarcastic tendencies. "You can be happy that I work Mondays," she said quickly, before jumping out the door and disappearing into the Café. Driving off, a smile soon covered Nate's face. Monday's all of a sudden didn't look so doomed after all.

* * *

Keith slowly shook his head, worn out after only 20 minutes of talking to Karen and Dan. "I can appreciate the thought you all have put into this, but it's moving too fast. Lucas is not going to respond to being forced into a relationship with Dan or Nathan," he said, pushing away from the table where they sat discussing the matter. He needed to get back to work and actually get some cars fixed this afternoon.

Shaking his head, Dan grew more and more annoyed with his big brother. "Aren't you the one that has lectured me for years about taking responsibility for Lucas and getting to know him?" he asked, throwing his brother's past recriminations in his face.

Karen watched silently as Keith shoved his hands into the pockets of his worn jeans, clearly seeing the signs of frustration written on her friend's face. "Lucas isn't 5 anymore, Dan. You can't buy him a ticket to the circus and make it all better."

"I can try to let him know that I care and try to be there for him now," Dan responded, knowing that Keith had a lot of good points. Lucas was stubborn and he wasn't going to be forced into doing anything he didn't want to do. Dan didn't know him that well, but he knew enough from the time they spent at the dealership that Lucas was just as obstinate as he was. "I just want to try to be in his life, Keith. There's no ulterior motive or plotting going on here."

Keith rolled his eyes. "You mean for once, you don't have an ulterior motive? Or are you just trying to have two varsity players to control?"

Karen finally stepped in, having listened to Keith pick on Dan long enough. "Keith, you're pushing it," she softly stated, hating it when the two brothers locked horns. She'd spent too many of her teenage years being their family referee. "You saw the game the other night, Keith. We have to take action now before Nathan and Lucas kill one another."

Sighing, Keith realized there was some truth in her words. "I can appreciate wanting peace, Karen, but maybe it's too late. You have both let the hate build between these two for years. You can't expect a few dinners and some shared time together to make them friends."

Keith started for the door but stopped and turned back to face the two of them, still sitting side by side at the small table. "I think you are making a huge mistake. Lucas has barely said a word the last week. He's not eating while we work, or joking like he normally does. This is really upsetting him and the more you two try to force him, the more he's going to rebel," Keith predicted. He knew his nephew well enough to know that he was suffering right now. He turned around and continued toward the door, knowing that Dan and Karen were firmly set on this course of action.

Dan realized that there was nothing really left to say. He was already uneasy about their plan, but he'd committed to it fully the night of the fight, and he wasn't going to let Karen down. "Congratulations," he called out, causing Keith to pause at the door.

"For what?" Keith asked, waiting for yet another of Dan's insults or biting remarks. There was nothing more dangerous than a cornered Dan Scott. Yet another trait the father shared with his older son. Lucas could be vicious and wounding when he was forced to do something against his will.

"On your engagement," Dan softly commented, upset that he'd heard the news from one of his vice presidents and not directly from his brother. Karen looked visibility shocked, figuring that she and Keith were at least still friends. That he could get engaged and not tell her was deeply upsetting. "Congratulations," Karen shakily offered, knowing that life was truly moving forward.

Keith smiled at them both. "I know that it seems sudden, but Anna and I but feel we are ready," he said, getting the sappy grin on his face that always appeared when his thoughts of his girlfriend entered his mind.

"Did my invitation get lost in the mail, or is that a subtle hint that I'm not invited?" Dan softly asked, truly hurt at the idea of missing such an important family event.

Keith hesitated, knowing that this revelation was going to force him to call his parents and inform them of his upcoming wedding. And Keith always made it a rule to avoid his father whenever possible. "It's going to be a very small, informal wedding," he began, watching as Dan sat back in his chair. "We were just going to have a small civil ceremony with Lucas and a few of our friends."

Karen and Dan exchanged looks at the sound of their son's name. Keith was involving his nephew while excluding the rest of his family. Dan looked at Keith and shrugged his shoulders. "I can't force you to invite me, but you should really reconsider not asking Mom to be there. She's waited for decades to see you get hitched."

Nodding, Keith suddenly felt uncomfortable. As much as he hated to admit it, he'd hurt Dan. Dan who'd made a career out of hurting everyone in his life. "I'll call her tonight," he offered, and slipped out the door.

Dan looked over at Karen, who seemed lost in thought. For a moment, he felt something akin to possessiveness regarding her obvious feelings toward his brother. He shook those thoughts from his mind, knowing that he had no business thinking that way. "Well, I guess we can't accuse Keith of being too cautious and deliberate anymore," he joked, trying to find some way to get Karen to talk. She was worn out from all the confrontations she'd had lately, and she was getting tired of all the surprises that lurked behind the doors of her life.

"It seems like everything is changing," she softly said, still upset that Keith had not told her about the upcoming nuptials himself. Whatever their doomed relationship had weathered, she still thought he was her friend. She dropped her head and let her hair fall into her eyes, ashamed to be so emotional about such a happy event.

Seeing her distress, Dan moved closer toward her, gently moving the hair out of her eyes and tucking it behind her ear. As his hand lingered against her dark hair, their eyes met, causing Dan to quickly jerk his hand away from her. "I'm sorry, Karen. I don't know what came over me," he said, as she abruptly pushed away from the table and moved toward the Café's counter. The familiar gesture brought back a wave of memories, of a time when Dan routinely brushed her hair out of her eyes.

"It's getting late, Dan. You need to go back to work so you can get to dinner on time," she said, immediately dismissing what had just occurred. Nothing had happened, she told herself. It was her hyperemotional response to a week full of turmoil. She turned back to look at Dan, who stared at her in confusion. If she'd been kinder and less cynical, she might have called the look on his face regret. She gave him a brief nod, before turning and going into the kitchen to get ready for the dinner rush.

Dan stared after her, wanting to chase after Karen and apologize for touching her in such an inappropriate, intimate manner. Stopping himself, he realized that it was better to let things go than make them worse. After all, he thought ruefully, walking away had always been his signature move. Sighing, he walked out the door and headed for his SUV.

* * *

Love it? Hate it? Feeling whip lashed from all the verb tense switches? All feedback is appreciated. Thanks to all the wonderful reviews for the last chapter. It really does make a difference for writers. I know there's no Brucas, but have paitence.

Coming up, the dinner that is taking entirely too long to write.

And yes, L/B get busy in the library.


	21. Chapter 21

Okay. I lied. The Brucas Library scene is in the next chapter. Mea Culpa. I thought it was in this chapter but it's not. So I posted a chapter early to make up for it. Sorry!!

* * *

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 20

* * *

Lucas dropped the socket wrench on the dirty work bench in the back of the shop and paused a moment to catch his breath. He'd been working on an ancient transmission most of the afternoon and was worn out from fighting with the equipment. After carefully washing the grime and grease off his hands, Lucas leaned back against the workbench and stared at the old clock on the wall. He had exactly 25 minutes to get to the Café for his first ever 'Dinner with Dad', as he taken to calling it.

A giggle from the office in back caused him to frown. Anna. Keith's new fiancée. Anna who baked cookies for them and brought Keith muffins for a morning snack. His eyes narrowed, wondering if Anna was some kind of alien life form. The refined blonde lady never raised her voice, never got upset, and was generally freaking happy enough to be the subject of a damn Broadway musical. And what bothered Lucas more was that he actually liked Anna. How could anyone not like her? She was kind, listened emphatically to every word he said, and she truly dotted on Keith.

He craned his head around the corner wall that separated the shop from the office and took in the happy couple in front of him. Anna sat on Keith's desk, going over some list with him. She looked up at Lucas, and gave him a brilliant smile. "Hello, Lucas!"

Keith beamed at her beaming at him. They were a very beaming couple, he thought. Losing his smile, Lucas grew solemn noting that his mother never beamed around Keith when they were dating. "Hey," he neutrally greeted the couple, not wanting to interrupt their gigglefest.

"Lucas, we want your opinion," Keith began, shoving a thick catalog over to the edge of the desk. "Anna and I were planning on getting married at city hall, but I think she needs a dress," Keith commented.

Looking down at the catalog, Lucas realized it was a bridal magazine with all kinds of frilly fu fu gowns. Anna smiled at his reaction, knowing that no 16-year-old boy wanted to contemplate wedding attire. "I think Keith and I should save our money and put it toward a house instead." She wanted to be practical with both their time and money. A formal wedding could set them back months.

Lucas considered both arguments, slightly impressed that he'd been consulted in the first place. He looked from the magazine to Anna, who was starkly out of place in the garage with her wool plaid skirt and sweater set. And pearls. She was actually wearing a tiny row of pearls. "I think you should get some kind of dress," he finally said, knowing that every female he'd ever met had a vision of what their wedding would be like from the age of 5. "I mean, it doesn't have to have layers of fu fu, but you only get married once. You should have some kind of special dress for it."

Keith smiled at his nephew's words, proud that Lucas could be so positive about the upcoming wedding. Keith knew Lucas wanted him to marry his mother, but the respect that the boy showed the couple was endearing. Anna looked over at Keith and sighed in frustration. "I'm trying to be practical…" she began to argue, before Keith leaned over and put a small kiss on her check.

"We don't need to be practical. We've got the rest of our lives to do that," he said. He had been saving for years to get a house and he knew that Anna had done the same. They could afford to spend a bit on a small wedding without sacrificing their dreams of an old Victorian house with a big fenced yard.

Anna closed the bridal magazine and put it in her tailored leather bag. "We wanted to do this fast, Keith. Dresses and a small ceremony isn't fast."

Looking over at Lucas, Keith grinned at his fiancée's reaction. "Fast was a good option until my mother heard about the wedding. I just need something that's better than city hall, but that doesn't require engraved invitations." He'd called his parents that morning, after Dan's speech about parental involvement. Keith wasn't close to his father and over the years the situation with Lucas had upset him to the point of where he was estranged from his own mother. But he couldn't just get married without telling them. If they wanted to make the trip up from Florida, it was their choice. Needless to say, his mother had been thrilled that her oldest son was settling down, even as his father had been suspicious that Keith was marrying a town outsider.

Leaning back against the tan cinder block wall, Lucas considered their dilemma. "Why not get married in the park by a rent a clergy? You know, nondenominational ….bland….no invitations, yet good enough for a white dress."

"That could work," Anna admitted, liking the idea of getting a formal dress and still avoiding a church ceremony. "Lucas, I know you've already agreed to be Keith's best man, but if we had a formal wedding, would you consider walking me down the aisle, too?"

Lucas knew that Anna had grown up in foster care and lacked even the most basic of relatives. It was the main reason that she and Keith had wanted a small civil ceremony instead of a large church wedding. He tentatively smiled at her. "Yeah, I could do that."

Anna clasped her hands together and smiled, as she watched Keith wrap Lucas in a bear hug. "Thanks, Kid. You are really being supportive."

Pulling back from the hug, Lucas shrugged his shoulders. "At least I can be supportive of something and not play the role of malcontent," he snarked, knowing that Keith caught his reference.

"I don't know what to say, Luke. I went to talk to them about that today," he explained, watching as Luke's eyes grew big.

"They were together in the middle of the day?" he asked, growing more alarmed every day at how close Karen was getting to Dan.

Keith silently shared his nephew's alarm but didn't want to feed the anger that he saw growing daily within the boy. "They were in the Café talking about tonight," he said.

Anna patted Luke's arm reassuringly. She'd lived in over 14 different homes in 9 years, so she knew how upsetting it was to have parental figures move in and out of your life. Her empathy for Lucas grew, knowing it was particularly hard for him because this was his own biological father.

"Speaking of which, Brooke is supposed to pick me up in five minutes. I was just getting ready to tell you I was leaving when we got side tracked by wedding dresses," he admitted, pleased that at least two people in his life were happy. He was dreading this dinner thing but the idea of seeing Brooke even for a few minutes brightened his day.

Anna spontaneously reached out and hugged him, quickly releasing him when she felt his shoulder muscles tighten at the contact. She could appreciate that Lucas was fairly reserved around people and that she'd just invaded his private space. "Thanks, Lucas. I'm so happy that you are playing such a big role in our wedding."

Waiting for his fiancée to move away, Keith stepped and ruffled his nephew's hair. He didn't want to crowd Lucas with too many displays of affection. "Hang in there tonight and don't let Danny get you riled up," Keith commented, knowing just how difficult that could be. His little brother had a particular talent for upsetting people. "Remember that it's better to be aloof and silent than to speak and get grounded."

Lucas grabbed his backpack from the beat up sofa and moved toward the door. "I'm doomed," he predicted, knowing that he never could keep his mouth shut when Nathan was involved. Dan was much easier to ignore, as their paths didn't tend to cross much. But Nathan was a prevalent as a virus, Luke thought. Hearing a car horn, he smiled at them then turned and left.

Brooke smiled as he slid into her front seat, moving at once to kiss her. She deepened the kiss for a moment, before pulling out of the parking lot. "Did you bring it?" he asked, admiring her tan legs a moment before moving his eyes up to her face.

She giggled a second and motioned to the backseat. Lucas felt around a few seconds and retrieved the bottle of vodka that was lying in a bag on the floorboard. He unscrewed the lid and looked around for police cars before guzzling the warm liquid.

Brooke's eyes narrowed in a concern a moment. "Are you sure you should be doing this before the 'dinner o' death?' she asked, genuinely concerned about his state of mind. She knew he was upset about forced interaction with his estranged family. "I mean, you didn't eat anything for lunch and you don't want to get noticeable drunk in front of your mom." Knowing Karen, that woman probably had a portable blood alcohol kit in her purse, just waiting to use it on Lucas. She was over protective with a capital "P".

"I'm going for casually buzzed," he revealed, flashing her with a rare smile. "Honestly, I just need something to relax me and take the edge off."

Brooke relaxed at his words. This was Lucas, mature, rational and totally dependable Lucas. She hated it when people lectured her about her drinking and she wasn't about to stop him from imbibing a bit to get through the night. She looked over and noticed that he was well on his way to draining the small pint of Stoly she'd smuggled out of her parents wet bar.

Noticing her concern, Lucas waited until she pulled up to a red light and nuzzled her neck, teasing her with little nips around her neck and under her very sensitive ear. "Thank you," he said, finally forcing himself to pull away from her before he did something he'd regret.

Brooke snapped to as a horn behind them indicated that the light was now green. "How much longer before you can official go on a date?" He laughed at her obvious frustration as they drove on, looking for a spot where he could kill the bottle and be alone with her for a few minutes. Brooke smiled at him, the one part of her life that was great even as the rest it was crashing around her.

* * *

Dan noted the time on the Café's clock before turning his attention back to the small group that mingled in the now closed dining area of the restaurant. Taking a healthy sip from his imported beer, Dan realized that Lucas was now over 20 minutes late to their first family dinner. He wasn't a beer drinker. And even though this was one of the better imports in Karen's small stock, Dan would rather take a shot of bourbon any day. Karen frowned on the heavier spirits though, and he had resorted to beer to calm his nerves. Not that it matter since it appeared that Lucas wasn't going to show up anyway.

He turned to face Karen, who was finishing up some work at the counter. "He'll be here," she said, instantly knowing what was on his mind. "Luke is too afraid of what I'll do to disobey me."

Dan laughed at her confidence. "Or maybe you know that he's desperate enough to get ungrounded so he can go out with Brooke. Desperate enough to hang out with me," he added, sadly knowing that getting to know his oldest son wasn't going to be easy.

Laughing, Karen dropped her dishrag and smiled at him. "That too. He's definitely very interested in Ms. Davis." She just wished that she had a better vibe about the couple. Maybe it was her mother's instinct but Karen just knew that Brooke and Lucas together meant trouble.

A giggle from across the room drew both their attention away from the subject of Lucas. Karen raised her eyebrows at Dan. "Seems like I'm not the only one who needs to worry about sons and girlfriends."

Dan watched as his son unconsciously flirted with the pretty petite waitress next to him. They were a striking couple, he conceded, but he didn't want Nathan getting too invested in her. Nothing good came from overly seriously high school relationships. "As long as he uses birth control and doesn't let off his game, I'm fine with it."

Staring at him as if he'd just grown a fourth head, Karen finally hit him in disgust. "There is more to life than basketball, Dan. You can only push him so hard." Karen of all people understood Dan's passion for the game. And though he'd deny it, Karen knew that Dan felt like a failure for not making more of his college sports career. The fear of failure had driven Dan most of his life, and was now nearly haunting him regarding his past decisions.

His shoulders tensed up, knowing that she was right, but still not liking the idea of Nathan losing his focus. "I'm trying, Kar. It's hard to change though." His deep blue eyes met hers and they held a silent communion for a moment, before the sound of the front door opening broke their gaze.

Lucas meandered through the door and dropped his backpack on the couch, taking in the staring group with mild disinterest. Karen approached him, looking at her watch. "Do you need me to remind you that 7 PM is when the little hand is on the 12 and the big hand is on the 7?" If Lucas was going to act like a child, she was going to treat him like one.

He ignored most of the room and sauntered over to the counter and poured himself a glass of water. "I was working on a car and wanted to finish so the customer wouldn't be stranded," he lied, the words flowing effortlessly from his mouth. If his mother did bother to call Keith, he'd more than likely back Lucas up, since he wasn't exactly a time oriented kind of guy. And it was only 25 minutes. They'd sat in a deserted parking lot near the Piggly Wiggly while he'd consumed the pint of vodka. Lucas wasn't a serious drinker, but he knew that he'd gotten enough booze in his system to relax him, without appearing drunk. Brooke had been concerned about how much he'd had, but Lucas knew it was under control.

He stared at his mom calmly, not really caring if he had answered her question with enough information or not. His eyes narrowed as Dan walked up behind Karen, having heard the lame excuse the boy offered.

"Keith doesn't let you off work to eat now?" Dan asked, knowing that more than likely Lucas had purposefully delayed getting to the Café on time. He watched as the boy's squint grew, turning into a broad scowl.

Lucas pretended to consider the older man's words. "Well, I did have to clean up. It takes a while to get all that grease and dirt out from under your nails. Oh, wait, you and Nathan would know nothing about manual labor, would you?" he asked, venom dripping from his words. Nathan looked up from across the room, where he sat chatting with Haley. They exchanged a glance for a moment, before returning their gaze back to the Lucas/Dan sideshow.

Karen step in between the two men, knowing that Dan was already insulted by Luke's biting accusation about the differences in their social classes. "That's enough, Luke. I would ask you to apologize to Dan, but I'm assuming that would be pointless. But I do want to talk to you in back, NOW," she tersely stated, not waiting for an answer before walking off. Lucas continued to stare at Dan for a moment before reluctantly following his mother to the kitchen.

Dan tightened his grip on his beer bottle, fighting the urge to throw it at something. Lucas had an innate ability to get on his last nerve. Looking up, he noticed Nathan watching him and he sent his younger son a reassuring smile.

Luke watched as his mother paced around the kitchen, putting away various items as she wiped the main counter. Abruptly, she spun around and pointed a shaky finger at him. "You will not keep disrespecting my rules," she announced, her voice as firm as steel.

"I was at work, Mom. You can't expect me not to finish up what I was doing just to get here to smooze with Dan Scott," Lucas snapped back, tired of the man's intrusion into his life. Her eyes narrowed at his words. "Were you working or just chatting with Keith to waste time?" Karen wouldn't put it past Keith to try to protect his nephew from his own father.

"I actually did stop to say good night to him and Anna," he said, noting the expression that crossed her eyes at the mention of Anna. He decided to continue that vein of conversation. "Actually, we were discussing the wedding and all the roles I'm going to play in it."

Karen looked away, knowing she was just jealous. While she didn't love Keith in the right way, she was jealous that someone was finding happiness and love. And that yet another girl was getting married. There were times that Karen didn't care about being alone and focusing on her son. But lately, she'd grown tired of sitting home alone, missing out on adult male companionship. It wasn't fair to turn Lucas into her defacto spouse and she'd done just that.

She finally spoke. "It's one thing to be late; it's another thing to go around insulting people. You know better than that because I raised you better than that," she said, watching as he slowly sighed, shoulders slumping. "I'm not asking that you be best friends with them, Lucas. But I am asking that you speak when spoken to and don't insult them just because you can."

"Whatever," he said, wanting to fast-forward through her boring lecture. Karen gave up, knowing that she'd done her best. And Lucas tended to respond to her lectures, despite his eye roll and posturing.

They walked back out to the front. "Dinner should be ready to go in ten minutes," she announced, her tone seeming overly happy even to her own ears. Lucas noticed Haley and Nathan setting the large table in the center of the room and he froze. "Wait a minute, what is she doing here?" he asked Karen, his tone of voice catching everyone by surprise.

Haley's eyes widened in surprise, shocked that Lucas would even ask that question. "I always eat with you and Karen after work, Luke. You know that." Luke's face remained angry. "So while I'm forced to sit and eat with these two, Nathan gets to make cow eyes and flirt at Haley. That's not fair," he declared, upset that his mother didn't see this. How was this a punishment for both boys if Nathan was being rewarded with Haley?

"Luke, it's a tradition for the three of us to eat together," Karen began, before Lucas cut her off.

"Traditions change, mom," he noted, waving at the inclusion of Dan and Nathan. "If it can change to add them, why not Brooke?" He was growing petulant, knowing that if Haley and Nathan talked all night, he'd be forced to talk to Dan and Karen for most of the time there. And that idea made his stomach hurt more than the vodka currently residing there.

"Besides, it's Monday night which is Haley's parent's bridge night. If she goes home without dinner, she's going to have heat something up and eat alone," Karen explained, hating when kids didn't have a family to sit down and share dinner with.

Leaning back against the counter, Lucas shook his head in anger. "Brooke doesn't have anyone to eat with most nights of the week and I don't see you asking her over," he bitterly noted, growing petulant at his mother's seeming dislike and disinterest in Brooke.

"Lucas it is not my job to make sure that Brooke's parents do their job. Haley is family and this is a family night," Karen slowly explained, not understanding Luke's sudden animosity toward his best friend.

Luke's stomach sank with Karen's words, mixing with the booze that was swilling about in the pit of his stomach. "You did not just refer to them as 'family' did you? Haley, sure. But she's actually been around for more than a few minutes, unlike them," Lucas gestured toward Dan and Nathan.

Realizing her mistake, Karen attempted to distract Lucas from her inclusion of Dan and Nathan into his family. "The point is that Haley is not going anywhere and you are not inviting friends for dinner."

Dan had been holding back for most of the conversation, afraid to say anything that would illicit Lucas' considerable anger. "Uh, I actually agree with Lucas." The entire room, including Lucas, turned to stare at the man in the dark suit. Even with his tie loosened, Dan still stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Nathan is still grounded, but he's getting to spend a few hours with Haley because she works here, yet Lucas doesn't have anyone here strictly on his side," Dan noted, not above trying to curry favor with his estranged son.

Haley interrupted his thoughts. "I am NOT on anyone's side," she emphatically stated, getting sick of this game. "I just work here and normally eat here. I was talking to Nathan because he actually replies when I speak to him," she finished, looking pointedly at Lucas, since they hadn't talked to each other in over a week.

Dan acknowledged her point and turned back to Karen. "I just think it's unfair that by default Nathan has Haley here and Lucas can't invite Brooke," he finished, knowing instantly he'd made a huge mistake. Karen's eyes were practically boring holes into him.

"This isn't the Dating Game, Dan. The goal here isn't so they can sit around and flirt with their girlfriends," she said insistently. She looked at Dan as if he'd lost his mind.

Dan looked hesitantly over at Lucas, who was staring at him in interest, obviously shocked that the older man was actually taking his side on something. Or maybe Lucas was shocked because his father had finally listened to something he'd said. Either way, Lucas forced a cold expression on his face. Dan never did anything without a reason and this was just his way of trying score points with his oldest son.

"I'm not suggesting we turn this into single's night, Karen. I'm just saying that I see the basic injustice here," he explained, turning to face his ex-girlfriend. He could tell she mad at him for breaking ranks with her decision.

"My son, my rules. That's not up for negotiation," she clarified, just in case Dan didn't get the point.

Dan sighed and straightened his broad shoulders, knowing that they were definitely heading for a fight over this topic. "Isn't that the attitude that got us in our current situation?" he calmly asked, nodding toward all three teens now stood, watching their fight as if a spectator sport.

Silently, Karen reached out and grabbed his large arm, practically dragging him into the kitchen. Making sure that the kids weren't watching them from the order window, she spun around and furiously spoke. "You are dangerously close to crossing some lines, Dan Scott." She dropped his arm suddenly and moved across the room from him.

He leaned back against one of the counters that lined the wall and slowly exhaled. He'd forgotten just how strong those tiny hands were. When Dan was losing control of a deal or any situation, he resorted to the one thing normally alien to him: rationality.

"Karen, you need to take some time and consider if you really want to continue this plan. If you really want me to get to know Lucas and to help Luke and Nate become brothers, you've got to trust me enough to lower those walls of yours," he said, knowing he was dangerously close to getting hit. "But I do know that if we don't present a unified front, those two boys are going to eat us alive."

She mimicked his posture by leaning against a cabinet on the opposite wall, staring at her ex in frustration. Whenever Dan won an argument using logic, she was always overreacting to something. The question was, what was pushing her buttons? Was it the close proximity to him? Or the general stress and distance that was happening with her son? "I admit that I'm a control freak. I've just not had anyone question my rules before," she admitted.

Dan nodded at her words, knowing that for the last 8 years, he'd not had a co-parent around either. It was easy to move into dictator mode when there wasn't another adult to balance you out. "You really seem to have issues about Lucas and Brooke," he causally mentioned, not wanting to get her riled up again.

"It's just that Lucas has never had a girlfriend before, and this one is so blatantly sensual. I just worry about what she's doing to my little boy," Karen revealed. The few times she'd seen them together, every instinct she had blared out warnings full force.

Dan listened to her motherish rant for a few seconds before bursting out in laughter. "Karen, are you honestly listening to yourself? The kid is 16, do you honestly think he's not messed around with a girl before Brooke?" The laugh lines around his eyes deepened as he fought off another round of laughter. "You do remember what we were doing at that age?"

Karen covered her ears with her hands. "La…la….la…not hearing that my son is probably having sex," she explained, frowning at the humor he found in this situation. "Yes I remember what we were doing at 16 and I also remember what happened because of it. Are you ready to be a grandfather at 34?" she asked, gently reminding him of how the past intermingled with the present.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Karen stared at him defiantly. Dan remembered his own fears about Nate's growing sexuality. He'd spent every Thursday night for three months lecturing Nathan about birth control and STD's until his son had begged him to stop.

He considered her words for a moment. "God, can you imagine having grandkids at this age? I don't feel old enough to be a father, let alone have grandbabies around." Dan frowned a moment, realizing that when Lucas had children, those would be his grandchildren. A tentative thread between estranged father and son. And if he didn't stop the current distance, he would play the role his parents were currently playing toward their oldest grandson: stranger. If Dan didn't help change things he'd eventually have grandchildren who didn't know who he was. And that was something he'd seen first hand.

Slowly, Karen walked over to the counter he was leaning against and leaned back next to him. She overlooked when her arm brushed against his muscled forearm just as she ignored the strong, sensual scent of his cologne. "I need to find a way to exclude Brooke on Monday dinners. I know Haley has become close to Nathan, but if we invite Brooke, you will never get a word out of Lucas. He'll use her presence to block you and Nathan from existence."

Dan didn't move from where they stood in close proximity. "Why don't you invite Brooke over for dinner on Tuesdays, so you can get to know her and exert some of your motherly control on her? God knows with Katherine as her mother, she could use you in her life." Any time Dan felt like a failure of a parent, all he had to do was look at Brooke's parents and he felt instantly better. He knew he'd pushed Nathan hard when it came to basketball and perhaps he wasn't the most touchy feely father on the planet. But he did tend to know where his son slept at nights and he made sure that the boy had food and care. As far as he could see, Brooke spent more nights in his house than her own and Dan was fairly sure he'd fed the girl more meals too.

She slowly nodded, trying to force the tension out of her neck and shoulders. "I'll do that and hope that it will placate Lucas somewhat for these dinners. And I'll try to be more open about his relationships," she said, jumping a bit when she felt his hand on her shoulders, rubbing the tension that he instinctively knew was there. Karen's shock disappeared quickly has his hands found the source of her tension and she fought the urge to lean back into him. She'd had a particularly busy day at the Café and had pulled more muscles than usual lugging trays of food and moving huge cans of food and supplies from the storeroom.

He ran his thumb along her tense muscles and was shocked at how easy it was to fall into old behavior. He done this very same thing to her on nights they'd spent "studying" together after tense days of cheerleading and basketball practice. Except back then his hands hadn't stopped with a simple back rub. A flood of feelings invaded and Dan quickly removed his hands, as if burned.

Dazed, Karen noted the way he quickly moved away from her and wondered if she'd done something wrong. But his hands had worked magic on her tired muscles and she already felt better, despite the tension stand off with her and Lucas and the problems with Dan invading her parental space. "We should get back in there before they start throwing dishes at each other." His eyes met hers and he realized that she was just as disconcerted as he was.

Smiling, she slung an arm around his back and steered him toward the door. "I hope not, I've lost too many to Haley's waitressing to lose more in a brotherly battle." They opened the door and prepared for a long night.

* * *

Thanks for taking the time to read! Any and all feedback is appreciated.

Cyn


	22. Chapter 22

Ahem. So I was another chapter off with the Brucas part. The good news is that I'm posting all these chapters faster so you'll get to that chapter at the same time as if I'd not been confused and mislead you. But you've got some other stuff here to read. It's not all about Brucas. I hope. I just noticed the reader traffic and I'm amazed at all the people from all the countries who are reading this story. Spasiba to all the Russians reading. And to everyone else whose language I don't know.

* * *

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 21

* * *

The Café was filled with activity as the First Annual Scott Hell Feast began. Lucas stood off to one side staring sullenly at a wall as Karen walked by, carrying the first of many dishes to the table. She set the roast chicken entrée in the center of the table and looked over at her son, who was staring at the food as if it were poisoned.

"Lucas, go back to the freezer and get more ice," she instructed, giving him the patented 'mom death glare' when he hesitated. She focused on the cluster of chairs, filled with school packs and purses, before looking over where her ex stood. "Dan, why don't you move all of those backpacks and put some extra chairs around the table?" She nodded encouragingly to Dan, who stood looking vaguely out of sorts, for a moment before going in back to help Haley and Nathan with the veggies.

Dan looked around the empty room, realizing that he'd not really had any kind of organized dinners since Deb died. Most of his and Nate's recent holiday meals were either held at his friends' houses or buffets at the fancy hotel downtown. He moved toward the chairs closest to him and began moving various backpacks and purses off to the floor. Hearing the unmistakable sloshing sound of liquid, he looked down and saw Luke's tattered backpack. He surreptitiously glanced around a moment, and then unzipped the backpack. Frowning, Dan pulled out the bottle of Stoli just long enough to see that the bottle was nearly empty. Shaking his head, he shoved the bottle back into the frayed backpack and gently dropped it onto the ground with the others.

Shoving the last chair under the center table, Dan's eyes inevitably traveled back to where the illicit bottle of booze hid. His brow furled, wondering if he was the cause of his oldest son's forays into drinking. 'It was a Monday night, for god's sake', he thought. If it were a full bottle on a Thursday night, maybe Dan could have understood. He knew that Nate often stocked up late in the week for weekend parties. But to have an empty bottle on a Monday screamed "problems" even to a parent as dense as Dan. He knew that it wasn't unusual for kids to drink but it seemed like Lucas was hitting the bottle pretty hard lately. His shoulders fell a moment, realizing that he didn't know his own son well enough to know if the boy was behaving strangely or not. All Dan knew was that Luke had gotten drunk at the beach house during an after game party and that he was now in possession of a near empty bottle of vodka.

Hearing a noise, Dan diverted his attention away from the backpack and turned toward the door, smiling as Karen slowly placed a huge dish on the center of the table. There was no need to run to Karen with the information about her son's drinking habits. Things were stressful right now, he reasoned. Kids often went through phases and Lucas was obviously going through a serious one. Dan knew that he was largely responsible for the boy's anxiety, but he could surreptitiously watch his oldest son and see if the situation worsened. "Smells great," he said, covering his prior worried expression.

Karen evaluated his words, knowing that he was concerned about something. She dropped her pot holder on the table and raised her eyebrows. "What now?" It had been a trying night and all she needed was to hear that her son had been caught climbing through a window to escape their dinner. Dan nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to worry her over something that might be an isolated incident. After all, teenagers tended to drink. He'd done the same in high school and turned out just fine. "I was thinking about a meeting I have tomorrow, just making mental notes about it." It was a subtle lie, but a lie nonetheless.

They were interrupted as Nathan and Haley walked into the room, carrying the rest of the food. Lucas eventually sauntered in, dropping a tray of drinks less than gingerly on the table, complete with requested ice. Karen gave him a slight smile, trying to encourage her son to loosen up and drop the omnipresent chip on his shoulder. Lucas ignored her, opting to sit dejectedly in one of the chairs at the table, ignoring everyone else around him. Karen's smile faltered, knowing that while Lucas had always been reserved, the Café was one of the few places that he could be himself. That apparently was no longer true, she realized.

Lucas stared sullenly as Haley and Nathan sat down together on the opposite side of the table. His stomach rolled at the sight of his former best friend, knowing that she was too naïve to realize that she was falling for his half-brother and missing the point that he was more than likely using her to get at Luke. Haley met his eyes and smiled at him, trying to encourage any conversation that she could. She wasn't surprised when Luke ignored her and stared at a spot on the table in front of her. The situation grew worse as Karen sat at the head of the table, leaving Dan to take the only available seat: right next to Lucas.

Dan hesitantly sat next to his oldest son, looking over the table at Nathan for encouragement. He gave his father a weak smile which faltered as Lucas slid his chair as far away from Dan's as possible. Karen frowned at his behavior for a moment, before breaking off her conversation with Haley to address him. Dan beat her to the punch. "We forgot the rolls, Lucas why don't you come with me and help me get them?" Dan asked, making sure his voice indicated that it wasn't so much a request as a demand. Lucas rolled his eyes and glanced over at his mother, who nodded gently toward the kitchen door that Dan held open for him.

Petulantly throwing his napkin in his chair, Lucas stomped off toward the kitchen, leaving a pall in his wake. He walked past Dan and grabbed a basket of rolls, inanely wondering why his mother had made so much food in the first place. She knew that Lucas wasn't going to be able to eat around the gruesome twosome, but lately his mother didn't seem to be doing much thinking at all.

"You should be careful not to eat a lot," Dan suggested, blocking Luke's retreat back to the dining room with his large frame. Lucas sneered up at him and brought a hand up to his heart in mock consideration. "It's so touching that you care what I eat," he replied, trying to figure a way around the large figure blocking his exit from hell.

Dan smiled at his words, always up for a challenge to his authority. "Normally, I'd want you to eat a lot, so you could gain some weight and not be such an easy target on the court," he said, referring to the battles Luke had with opposing teams under the basket. The boy was so lanky that Dan wondered how he managed to hold his own at times. "But in this case I'm referring to the fact that wolfing down a lot of food on a stomach full of booze isn't a smart idea," he said, loving the look of surprise on his oldest son's face.

Luke's eyes darted around the room, confused at how Dan knew about his blood alcohol content. Maybe Dan had seen them in Brooke's car while they were killing the bottle, he thought, before realizing that Dan had been at the Café long before he had met up with Brooke. He finally met Dan's cold blue eyes, deciding to bluff his way out of the situation. "I don't know what you are talking about," Lucas replied.

Dan rolled his eyes at Luke's protestations, seeing the unease written all over the kid's face. "You're buzzing pretty hard for a school day, don't you think? I'd say that you've probably consumed a good amount of booze, by the looks of things, probably vodka." He watched the gears in the kid's mind churn, wondering how Dan could possibly know down to the type of alcohol he'd consumed. He smiled, liking the confusion he saw there. If they were going to have any luck working on Lucas, Dan would need to be one step ahead of him. And since the boy's expression clearly showed that he thought Dan was on some kind of psychic vibe, that could only help their cause.

Lucas stood there, staring at him in silence, not even bothering to refute Dan's accusation. He stood there, reveling in the boy's unhinged reaction. "I know you've been drinking. I'm just trying to warn you that shoving a lot of food down is a great way to get sick." He reached out and gently touched Luke's shoulder, trying to let him know that he was just trying to help. Sorta.

Shrugging off Dan's hand, Lucas slipped between the man and the door, heading toward freedom. He paused for a moment and turned back toward Dan. "Oh trust me, I know what's making my stomach sick, and it's not the vodka," he replied, giving Dan a pointed look before moving toward the door.

* * *

Dinner had been a mangled mass of strained conversation and uncomfortable silence.

Luke tried to block out the sound of Haley's voice discussing how well Nate had done on his algebra test, focusing instead on moving his food around his plate. He'd done the same thing when he was five and wanted to make it look like he was eating more than he really was in order to go outside and play. It also didn't help that his stomach was pitching back and forth, making him vaguely seasick.

Karen looked from her son to his plate and back over at Dan in concern. Lucas had barely eaten five mouthfuls of food the entire night. She'd never had too many problems getting him to eat and inevitably his lack of appetite invariably signaled some kind of problem. She reluctantly turned her attention back to Haley. "So how many athletes are you tutoring this semester, Haley?"

Haley set her water glass down on the table, mentally adding up her students. "I was working with 8 but one of them got off academic probation, so I'm down to seven students," she proudly declared, loving her ability to help her fellow students do better in class. "However, Nate remains my biggest success story!" she added, laying a supportive hand on Nathan's well muscled arm. Luke coughed, making the sound vary just enough from the retching sound her words and actions provoked in him.

Dan sneaked a glance at the boy, not sure if Luke was being rude of if the alcohol in his stomach was finally rebelling. Haley could feel Lucas' eyes boring a hole in her hand, even she jerked away from touching Nathan. Nathan's eyes instantly hardened toward his brother, knowing that Haley was only reacting that way to avoid his scathing glare.

Unusually quiet, Dan finally broke his silence. Dan had tried to say as little as possible, never knowing what might set Lucas off in a tizzy. "Nathan's grades have drastically improved since Haley started working with him," he added, not really sure if there was any value in his words, but wanting Haley to know he'd seen the academic improvement in his son's recent test scores.

Glancing down at his still full plate, Lucas avoiding saying that at least all the time Haley and Nathan had spent together had been worth it on some level. He bit back his comments since he knew that they would just piss Karen off. He was so close to getting ungrounded that he wanted to avoid any more conflict for the night. All Luke needed was Dan and Nate getting him regrounded before he got ungrounded. He shifted uneasily in his chair, realizing that his stomach was definitely not agreeing with the quickly consumed vodka. For once he was glad that he'd actually listened to something Dan Scott had said, because if he'd cleared his plate he'd definitely be throwing up by now.

Ignoring Luke's silent antics, Nathan desperately fumbled for some way to change the topic away from his grades. His self esteem didn't need to be reminded that Luke's grades were nearly has high as Haley's and that he'd never needed any kind of academic help. It wasn't hard to figure out which of the two brothers had inherited the geek gene, he reasoned.

The silence in the room grew, as everyone lingered over the last of their food. At a lost for anything else to say, Dan shifted in his seat and focused his attention toward Luke. "How are your grades?" he conversationally asked, though his tone was strained. Dan knew he had to get used to talking to the boy, but he didn't make it easy for him to attempt conversation.

Luke dropped his fork, the utensil clattering on the plate. "My grades are much better than Nathan's are and more than likely better than yours ever were," Luke muttered, pissed that Dan thought he could just start a casual conversation with him. Karen paused mid bite, once again amazed at the anger in Luke's voice. "Lucas…"she warned, giving her son a nasty look. "Dan, Lucas has a 3.9 GPA," she revealed, always proud of her son's academic success. Lucas was such a multi-talented young man that it was hard for her not to be proud of him.

Hesitating, Dan nodded in approval toward his oldest child. "That's great. I'm sure the college scouts will love that," he finally said, watching as Luke's eyes narrowed in disgust at his father's words.

"That's a good thing considering that without a scholarship I won't have enough money to go to college," he accusingly stated, staring Dan straight in the eye. Karen had drilled that point into him since birth, ensuring that he got competitive grades and test scores. Karen didn't want her son to miss out on the chance to go to college and do something with his life. The chance she'd given up in order to keep her baby all those years ago.

Dan slowly nodded at Luke's words as the room once again plunged into eerie silence. Karen jumped up and moved toward the kitchen. "Nate, why don't you help me get dessert," she said, anything to keep the dinner moving along. She was disappointed in Lucas, knowing that he'd done his best to ensure that Dan and Nathan never returned for another meal.

Lucas pushed away from the table, looking at the clock behind the counter. "I have to go to the library to meet my project partner," he said, immediately drawing a dubious look from his mother. The last thing Lucas wanted to do was linger over the chocolate truffle cake he'd seen in the kitchen earlier that night. What little food he'd managed to choke down was literally threatening to erupt and he didn't need Dan Scott's smug presence to encourage his urge to toss his cookies.

Karen refused to let him weasel his way out so soon, though. "What project?" she suspiciously asked, not remembering any mention of projects during her weekly homework inquiry.

Haley's gaze drifted between mother and son a moment before she jumped up and joined the conversation. "We have a biology project that's due soon," she informed Karen, failing to mention it was due in a few months. Or that Luke's "project partner" was none other than Brooke. She didn't know why she was covering for Lucas. While Haley had already started working on her project plan, she doubted that Brooke's motive for meeting this early had little to do with the project and more to do with being with Lucas.

Luke stared at her in surprise, shocked that Hales would actually help him get out of this hell of a dinner. For a moment, their eyes met in understanding, old friends who finished each other's sentences reconnecting. Karen's voice interrupted their starefest, sensing that something was off. "What's the focus of your project, Luke?" she asked, looking for any sign of deception from her boy.

Luke smiled at Dan as he killed the last swill of his second beer. "I'm doing a project on alcohol abuse called '50 ways to love your liver,'" he cheerfully informed Karen, all the while making Dan feel like the town drunk.

Karen hovered between letting him go and making him stay. She didn't want to keep him from meeting his partner, though Luke had known about this dinner long enough to plan around it. But she knew her son's schedule was packed with practices and games, and she didn't want to get him a lower grade on the project for not doing his share of the research.

She gave Luke a steely glance. "You may go, but in the future, plan around Monday nights. You aren't getting out early next time," she decided, watching silently as he grabbed his backpack and practically ran out the door.

As they finished dessert, Dan noticed that the atmosphere in the room was considerable lighter, the four of them having a nice discussion about life in general. All it had taken for the dinner to go from bad to great was his oldest son vacating the Café. They began clearing the table, interrupting Dan's reverie about the terse night spent with his estranged son. Karen watched him from across the table, before walking behind him and dropping a hand on his shoulder. "It'll get better, right?" she asked, more in the need to get comfort than to give it. Dan watched as the kids cleared the table before mumbling some vague words of comfort. He had thought that things couldn't get much worse between them, but Lucas was proving that idea wrong on a daily basis.

He finally got up and grabbed some glasses, following the happy sounds of his youngest son and his tutor into the kitchen.

* * *

So, lot's of family drama. The story really has a ton of family interactions, because the drama of both families really affects Brooke and Lucas in many ways. Thanks for reading. I've enjoyed the replies so much that I wrote a new chapter in a matter of days. That's good news! I always like to hear what you think, no matter how mean (Karen) or how effusive (Brooke) or even if you want to email me that you hate Peyton (appreciated).

Next up:

Brooke and Lucas are in the library. I promise. Pinkie swear.

Later on: A wedding, some grandparents and Luke gets to meet the parents.


	23. Chapter 23

* * *

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 22

* * *

Nathan stood in the back of the kitchen, helping Haley put away food and organizing things for the morning rush. He leaned back against one of the counters and took a moment to appreciate the girl in front of him. She had pulled her hair back into a simple ponytail when she'd started wiping down the counters, and occasionally she'd stop to push back a loose strand of hair that had escaped the little bundle at the nape of her long neck. His gaze followed the graceful curve of her neck down her back to where her tight jeans rode low on her hips.

Finishing her task, she dropped the sponge and turned to find him staring at her. Nathan's face flushed, having been caught in the act of ogling her ass. Grinning, he shrugged his shoulders at her raised eyebrows. "Sorry," he sheepishly said, liking the way a slight blush worked its way across her face and shaded her delicate features.

Haley wrapped her arms protectively around her stomach, wondering what Nathan Scott was up to. He was her best friend's sworn enemy and yet he'd spent the entire night at her heels, following her like a lost, hungry puppy. While Lucas was insistent that Nathan had romantic interest in her, it was hard for Haley to comprehend that idea. She'd spent most of high school with her close group of friends, focusing on academic achievement and ignoring the silent fears that she'd not have a prom date for her senior year. It was never too early to plan, she thought.

And here was the hottest guy in school, looking at her like she was the main entrée at an all you could eat buffet. "God, this was the night from hell," she commented, basically at a loss for what to say to a guy who was just checking out the fit of her jeans.

Nathan stayed where he was, not wanting to invade her space any more than he already had. "I'd say that should kill any future Monday night dinners," he speculated, knowing that his dad had lost his fire for futile confrontation after his mother had died. In fact, Nathan had difficulty reconciling the father he knew before his mother's death with the one he presently had. For years Dan had been going through the motions but not really relishing life, but for a few moments during dinner, he had seen the old Dan Scott emerge, usually in response to Luke's baiting.

Haley peered out the order window and noticed that Dan and Karen were speaking to each other softly in the front of the Café. A strange feeling crossed her at that moment, as she took in the soft expression on Karen's face and the way she leaned into Dan when he said something to her. "I'm not so sure about that, Nate. I think Karen and Dan are going to push these dinners, regardless of how badly Lucas reacts to them," she noted, having seen that determined look on Karen's face before and knowing that it didn't bode well for her former/current best friend.

"Man, Luke was pissed, wasn't he?" Nate asked, not sure if he was missing something in his half-brother's attitude. He didn't know the guy that well, but Nathan had been on the receiving end of Lucas' anger enough to know that his brother was totally irrational.

Haley shrugged her shoulders, totally out of sync with Lucas for the first time since they were in elementary school and she'd discovered training bras. "I don't know if I blame him, Nate. Dan has treated him like dirt for his entire life and now of all a sudden he's interested in Luke's grades?" She frowned, realizing that it wasn't just Dan. It was also her hanging out with Nathan that had pushed Luke's anger over the edge.

Sighing, Nate leaned back against the counter in frustration. "Dan's trying, Haley. He did everything he could out there to avoid a fight with Luke. Dad isn't perfect, but at least he wasn't down right mean to anyone," he argued, knowing that his father wasn't the easiest human to live with, but that Luke was apparently even more difficult. It wasn't like Nate wanted to spend time with Lucas or to incorporate him into the Scott family tree. He shook his head, wondering how he got put in the middle of this situation. After all, this was between Dan and Lucas and he didn't really have much to do with it.

Haley watched as the frustration eased into Nate, causing his shoulders to draw up and his muscles tensed with each word. Gently, she reached out and touched his forearm. "It's hard for you too, isn't it? I mean, you and Lucas aren't friends, and now you are being forced into being brothers."

"It's just confusing to be told he's my brother after so many years of ignoring him," Nathan admitted, refusing to getting attached. "I guess it's just hard for me to see my dad with Lucas and Karen," he admitted, realizing that if it weren't for his mom they probably would have been a family. He glanced away from Haley's inquisitive eyes, realizing that she could read more of his thoughts than he was comfortable with. Part of Nathan wanted to throw a fit like Lucas and rebel, but the other side of him just wanted to appease his dad. "He doesn't ask for much, outside of me working my ass off on the court. I'm trying to make him happy, but I feel like…" Nathan's voice weakened and trailed off, prompting Haley to walk over next to him and gently touch his cheek. "You feel like what, Nate?" She asked delicately, realizing that he was in pain.

"I just feel like I'm going to lose my dad to Lucas," he softly said, knowing the words sounded childish and petty. "He's all I've got, Haley. I've already lost my mom and I don't have anyone else." It was Nathan's worst fear, that his dad would die or find another family to move on to. In grade school he'd worried that his dad would start dating and would get married again. As he got older, he realized that Dan needed some female companionship and he needed to start dating again. In his wildest dreams he'd never imagined that Dan would attempt to put Lucas into their family.

Haley's hand left his cheek and reached down to grasp his large hand in hers. "Nathan, what you have with your dad could never be threatened by Lucas. I know that you and Dan have your issues, but Lucas can't stand to be in the same room with him. They might eventually learn to be civil to each other, but I can't imagine Lucas ever willingly calling you and Dan family." She had witnessed enough of Karen's rants about Dan to realize that father and son never stood a chance, and now the hate that had been so meticulously cultivated was simply too strong to be quashed by 'family' dinners. It saddened her that Dan and Karen didn't attempt to reconcile years ago, when time might have lessened the emotional damage wrought on both their sons.

Nathan smiled down at her, happy that someone cared enough to listen to his feelings. He wanted to ask her out in the worst way, but the words refused to come out. Nathan knew he could trust Haley, but he feared that Lucas had poisoned her against him, and he didn't want to risk losing her friendship for a date she might not even want. He cleared his throat and forced his thoughts away from how cute she was and how nice she smelled.

"Hell, it's not like it matters. I mean, next week, Dan might change his mind and stop speaking to both Karen and Luke." Haley looked past Nathan's tall form and into the dining area of the Café where the adults stood close to one another, speaking in urgent, yet hushed tones.

"By the looks of things out there, I highly doubt Dan and Karen are going to stop talking," she assessed, wondering what the hell was going on with her adopted family.

* * *

Dan stood in the large bay window at the front of the Café and watched as traffic moved slowly along the North side of the building. Fall was ebbing into reality; bring with it a night chill that hinted at a cold winter to come. Maybe it was the impending winter that chilled his heart or perhaps the results of the disastrous dinner.

Dan had expected Lucas to be resistant to his presence in his life, but he was a little stunned that the boy was so vehement in his hatred, so openly dismissive of Dan's potential value to his life. For all his lack of involvement, Dan had never dismissed his son's presence that way. Sure he'd been MIA for his entire life, but he'd stayed in the background, watching the boy to make sure that he was safe and taken care of. If Karen had failed at being a single mother, or if she'd needed him, Dan would have intervened.

The custody issue still burned in his heart, and knowing that Karen had played a role in keeping them apart had barely assuaged his guilt. He could have gotten a lawyer and sued for visitation. He could have forced himself into their lives, and then he would have had cancelled child support checks to show Lucas that he did care and did try to be a decent parent. But he hadn't insisted on giving Karen money, just like he hadn't forced her to give him visitation. Karen said it best herself, Dan had gambled with his son's life and in the end, they'd both lost out on a relationship.

At this point, all he could do to gain some of Luke's trust was to tell him what happened with Karen and how her fear of Deb had kept father and son apart. And that news would more than likely cost Karen the trust of her son. He couldn't destroy the boy's faith in his mother even if it meant never being trusted by his own son. He wasn't sure that he could add anything to the boy's life that would make up for the collapse of his trust and confidence in his mother.

It was a quagmire he couldn't win, Dan now realized. He could force himself into Luke's life and make the boy miserable, or he could withdraw and confirm every evil feeling his oldest son had about his father.

Karen walked up behind Dan and stood there a moment, taking in his tense stature. He'd not changed much over the years, she mused, uncomfortable with how her eyes roved over the contours of his back and how she lingered on the way his dress shirt was cut to suit his broad shoulders. It was hard to look at Dan and realize that nearly 16 years had passed since they were a couple. Time had been very kind to Dan Scott, even if life had not been.

She laid a tentative hand on his shoulder, shaking him out of his reverie. "Dan, it's over, you might as well sit down and relax," she said, motioning toward the stuffed sofa. "I've got some coffee brewing." He nodded and silently followed her to the sofa, still preoccupied with the thoughts of his past sins regarding his oldest son. He watched as she gracefully set the coffee mugs on the table in front of them, laughing as she heard him sigh heavily.

"What?" he suspiciously asked, not used to the girlish laugh that floated out of her lithe body. It had been years since he'd heard her laugh, he realized, wondering how two people so close to each could have drifted so far. Karen slowly stirred her coffee, still giggling at his solemn mood. "I think I just realized where Lucas gets his broodiness from," she explained, pointing out his furled brow and his overly serious manner. Dan's frown deepened. "I do not brood." His tone was so serious that she had to smile and the smile led to small guffaws of laughter. Dan stared at her a moment, wondering if she had been nipping at vodka too, before he gave up and let a smile emerge.

"Do we really look the same when we brood?" he asked hesitantly, his voice nearly hopeful. He'd been looking for any similarity between him Luke for years…some telling sign that this child was his progeny, part of his father. The eyes were a given, as Lucas had the same deep, intense blue eyes that all Scott men possessed. But that was where outward similarities ended, Dan thought.

Karen leaned back into the back of the sofa, contemplating for a moment. "You've definitely got the same tendency to over think things. And the same intense focus, whether it's on the court or some stupid game," she revealed, noting that Dan seemed to drink up her words. "Of course he's also smarter and kinder, but he gets that from my side of the family," she noted.

The insult sunk through his thick skull and after a few seconds he elbowed her in the side in retaliation, just as he'd done years ago when they were kids fighting for the remote to the TV during their "movie nights" in his parent's house. Seconds later they were calm, back to drinking coffee as if the shoving had never occurred. They were always good at pretending things didn't exist, he realized.

Karen watched as he slipped back into serious mode. "Are you going to tell me what you are thinking?" she asked, gently touching his khaki covered knee for a moment. He stared down at her hand for a moment, amazed at the women's capacity for kindness. Taking a deep breath, he turned toward her, ready to take a chance and tell her what he was thinking.

* * *

Luke moved quickly through the marbled hallway of the old library, toward the wide staircase near the back of the main entryway. This was hallowed ground for him, a shrine to his favorite childhood writers and books. Luke had spent most of his youth in this building, avoiding kids his own age and the taunts they leveled against him on the playgrounds.

Exiting the stairwell, he made his way across the deserted fourth floor. It was too late for the casual patrons and too early in the school year to attract all but the hard core students. However, it was the perfect setting for him, as it promised solitude and privacy. He quickly made his way through the stacks of books, toward a small room tucked among the deserted offices that lined the back of the floor.

Slipping into the rare book viewing room, he stopped in his tracks seeing Brooke casually stretched out on top of the cherry conference table, idling flipping through the latest issue of Cosmo. She smiled over at him from where she reclined, resplendent in her purple tank top and white shorts, her tanned legs inviting him toward her. Dropping the magazine, she slowly sat up, dangling her long tanned legs over the edge of the table, silently welcoming him with a careless swing of bronzed skin.

Luke relaxed for the first time that night, smiling as her arms slid around his waist, pulling him into her jasmine scented body. He closed his eyes and focused on the warmth emanating from her body and the steady beat of her heart. Pulling back, Brooke smiled at him and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "Hi Broody."

His eyes brightened at her seductive tone. Only Brooke could make such simple words so laden with intent and desire. "I missed you," he simply replied, pulling her back down into another kiss. It had only been a few hours since they'd sat together in her car, drinking away their fears, but it felt like weeks to Lucas. His head hurt from all the scowling he'd done that night, and his chest was literally so tight it hurt to breathe. Being near Brooke seemed to make it all better.

Brooke, feeling his shoulder muscles grow taut, ran a hand over the muscles, pulling away to look at him as she did so. "How bad was it?" she inquired, smiling as his groaned and closed his eyes at her touch.

He relaxed into her massaging hands, wishing that she could rub away his psychological pain, as well. "Well, no punches were thrown and I avoided getting re-grounded," he said, opening his eyes as her hand slid down to rest on his waist. "But I wanted to hit Dan. I hate the guy," summing up a lifetime of hatred in a few bitter words.

Brooke played with his belt loop for a moment, studying him intently as she did so. "You seem sober enough." She didn't think he was more than buzzed when she dropped him off that afternoon, but she had only been around him a few times when he was drunk. She wasn't sure what little clues he might have given to those who knew him better. "Did they know you were drinking?"

Lucas' eyes narrowed. "Dan said he knew I killed a bottle of vodka. I have no idea how he knew, because my mom didn't even catch on," he explained, before his shoulders grew tense once more. "She was too busy fawning over Dan and Nathan to pay much attention to me."

Surprised at his uber bitter tone, Brooke reached up and gently touched his cheek. "They aren't worth all this energy," she noted, hating to see him so upset over his own family. God knows, she'd spent too much time hating her own family to wish that on another human being. "It's futile. The more hatred you dish out to Dan, the more like him you'll become."

He looked up sharply at her words. "What do you mean? You think I'm like Dan?" he asked, a bit shocked that she would say such a thing to him. He was nothing like that bastard.

Brooke ran a soothing hand over his face, noting the stubble that had appeared since their first morning kiss, as she tried to explain her words. "You both draw people in with your good looks, only to repel them with your distant nature. You both alienate people to avoid love: he disdains love and you fear it." She shifted uneasily on the edge of the cherry table, worrying that she'd gone too far in her assessment of the situation.

Her words burned in his mind, both hurting him and yet bearing an intrinsic truth. He did try to avoid forming relationships with people out of fear. He'd seen what love and trust had gotten his mother, and from a young age, he'd vowed never to suffer that kind of pain at the hands of another person. Over time, he'd grown more isolated from what few friends he'd let in. His world was now defined by the three people who'd had his implicit trust: Karen, Haley and Keith. And of those three, Lucas wasn't sure who he could trust anymore. His mother was now Dan's best friend, Haley had dicked him over for Nathan, and Keith was clearly hiding something relating to their car accident. But he was beginning to see Brooke as someone he could trust, someone he could put in his trusted ring.

He finally met her eyes, knowing that she feared her analysis had a crossed a line. "I hate to think I'm anything like that creep, but I do have a tendency to distance myself from people," he admitted. His life was just waiting to turn into some huge talk show of dysfunction, he realized. Brooke watched him with sad eyes, wanting to remove the pain that always seemed to lurk behind those intense blue eyes. She pulled him closer to her, nestling his lean body in between her knees. "I hope I'm the exception to the distance thing," she murmured, lowering her head to his neck and nibbling the skin she found there.

Groaning, Lucas shoved all thoughts of his miserable family out of his mind and focused on the girl in front of him. Brooke was perched precariously on the edge of a table, with only a tiny pair of shorts separating their bodies. He turned his head to offer her unfettered access to his neck and responded to her ministrations by running his hands under her silky top. She ran her hands through his short hair, tugging him closer, finally bringing their lips together. She gently explored his mouth, caressing him as if to coax the tension from his body.

Lucas responded gently to her at first, but then grew more impatient with each passing moment. His hands moved over her smooth back, growing frustrated by the layers of clothing that separated their bodies from one another. On some level, Lucas knew they were in a public building and that anyone walking buy could see them. But on the other hand, he was alone with a sexy girl and his hands wanted to feel her flesh without clothing getting in the way. Brooke sensed his indecision and leaned away from him, which automatically moved his hands from her back to the sides of her chest. Lucas twitched a moment, knowing that he was so close to running his hands over her breasts.

Reluctantly, he pulled back, reminding himself that he wasn't going to be another guy that used Brooke for her body, and that he wanted to respect her and their growing relationship. Brooke watched in disappointment as he moved to the corner of the room and tugged his clothing back in place, forcing himself to breath slower. She slipped up behind and rubbed her hands over his chest a moment, before whispering in his ear. "Soon," she promised, knowing that there was no need to clarify her intent.

He nodded, wanting nothing more than to lose the choir boy act and push her back down on that table, but he also wanted it to be right and not some tawdry event they'd both live to regret. "Come on, I'll drive you home," he murmured and reluctantly followed her out of the room, hoping he didn't regret not living for the moment. He glanced down at her as they moved through the rows of books. "I don't suppose you know anything about livers?" he asked, laughing as she looked at him in confusion.

* * *

Replies are always welcomed. Major anvils ahead. Thanks for reading.


	24. Chapter 24

A special double chapter for you tonight. I'd appreciate any thoughts you have about the story or the characters. I love reading your in-depth thoughts. I know that a lot of you are reading for brucas, but the Dan and Karen stuff has a lot of little anvils of foreshadowing in it.

Thanks for reading!

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 23

* * *

The Café was bathed in low light, a sign that it was closed to outsiders and customers alike. Dan and Karen remained on the couch, the sounds of Nate and Haley in the kitchen filtering through to where they sat in relative silence surrounding the topic of their son.

Karen patted Dan's knee, noting the warmth and strength that generated through his khaki pants. "It's going to take time," she murmured, seeing the subtle signs of pain lingering in his eyes. Dan had always locked his emotions away, hiding any vulnerability from the masses.

Dan gave her a cryptic nod as he closed his eyes. She had always been able to read him, perhaps better than anyone ever had. "He's got a lot of anger towards me, Kar. And that's not going away with a few dinners and some nice words." Dan hadn't expected a miracle to happen during dinner, but he didn't realize how hard dealing with Luke was going to be.

Karen considered his simple words. Gone was the grandstanding salesman and left in his place was a man with genuine remorse etched across his face. "He's hurt, Dan. He's suffered on so many levels that we'll probably never understand it all. But he also wants a father." Karen had seen Luke stare with hungry eyes at Dan and Nathan over the years. She knew part of him would never be complete without knowing his father.

"The question is, does he want me as a father or does he want Keith?" Dan's mind flashed through all the times he'd seen his brother with Lucas over the years. He had little doubt that his son would give anything to change which brother was his biological father.

Karen sank back into the comfortable sofa. "Keith's been a godsend over the years, Dan" she gently reminded him, not wanting to rehash how his brother had helped them financial and more importantly, emotionally through Luke's life. When Karen was dead tired from working two jobs, Keith had offered to take Lucas off her hands. He had stepped up when Dan had shrugged his responsibility. "Keith's been there for nearly every major event of Luke's life."

Nodding, Dan finally met her eyes. "I hear Luke is playing a lot of roles in Keith's wedding," Dan commented, wanting to move away from the topic of Luke's childhood. He'd known that Karen struggled as a single parent and he'd still let her and his child nearly slip into poverty due to his own childish feelings. Dan knew he couldn't expect Lucas to feel comfortable around him so soon, but it did bother him that his son had to get drunk to have a meal with him. To see his son run willing to his brother's arms bothered Dan, no matter how much he blamed himself for allowing Keith to take his place in Luke's life. Dan could admit that he envied the easy relationship between Keith and his oldest son.

Karen's face fell at the mention of the word wedding. "Do you think you'll get an invitation?" she asked, knowing that Keith would invite her as the mother of his nephew but that it would be awkward if she actually showed up to the ceremony.

He hesitantly reached out and grasped her hand, wanting to prepare her for his news. "I called my mom after we talked to Keith this afternoon," he slowly began, seeing the look of dread already moving over her face. "She and Dad are planning to attend the wedding."

Karen's expression moved quickly from something he'd labeled as regret to something more akin to anger. He rubbed her hand for a moment, before continuing. "Mom is pretty adamant about finally meeting Lucas."

Ignoring Haley and Nate, who were pretty much glued to the order window eavesdropping, Karen stood up and moved toward the front corner of the Café. Dan saw the kids and motioned for them to get away from the window. He waited until he heard the slamming of the back door of the kitchen, before continuing.

He slowly followed her across the room, not wanting to invade her space given the shaky state of their newfound peace. "Karen, it's only natural that they'd want to get to know him…" he tried to explain, picking his words carefully. Karen whirled around, cutting off his meager attempt.

"Where were they when he was five and didn't have anyone show up for grandparent's day in kindergarten? They've had the same opportunities to know Lucas that you've had and you all failed to use them." Karen was upset though she'd suspected that Roy and May would soon become an issue. She had a long, complicated history with Dan's parents, one that might even surprise her ex.

His shoulders slumped at her words, knowing that Karen was right. Dan had created and perpetuated this situation. His parents, much like Lucas, were innocent victims of his decisions. Dan had insisted his parents keep their distance from their first born grandson. "They are going to meet at the wedding Kar. Unless you tell Luke he can't attend, they are going to run into each other. The question is, how can we make this less awkward, for Luke's sake?"

Karen's body seemed to shrink protectively inward, as if expecting an onslaught. "We can't just let them ambush him at the weeding," she concurred, making her way back to the sofa suddenly drained by an impossible situation. "Luke's been so unpredictable lately; I'm not sure how he'll react to Roy and May." She worried about hitting him with too many changes too quickly, but things were rapidly spinning out of control.

He sat down next to her, careful not to sit too far away on the small couch. "I think that I'm responsible for his recent attitude," Dan admitted. He stared into her blue eyes, which were so similar but not exact replicas of their son's. "Have you caught him drinking again?" he casually asked, digging for information about his son's alcoholic binge tendencies. The bottle of vodka from earlier that night still bothered Dan.

She leaned her head back against the faded blue fabric and shook her head. "He's never really come home drunk before. But I'm obviously out of the loop on that," she admitted. "I'm just worried about what he's doing when he's out of my sight." Karen's mode of parenting was based on the "keep them close" theory, which had worked for years. But now that he was older and could drive it was getting harder and harder to manage his free time. Adding Brooke to the picture just complicated the situation further.

Dan sympathized with her concern, especially in light of the empty vodka bottle he'd found before dinner. "It's hard with kids these days."

Snorting, Karen turned to face him where he lounged at the end of the couch. "Do I need to remind you how much you drank after games?" Memories of warm summer nights, buzzed on the beach washed over her. Nights that eventually created her son. Dan's intense blue eyes met hers and he knew she was remembering that summer. He was grateful to see a slow, sensuous smile cover her face. "We did have a great time back then," he admitted, meeting her smile with his own. It was nice that they could occasionally look back at the past and not dwell on the sadness and the brutality of their choices.

Karen shook off the cobwebs from her past and fought to forget the nights she spent in his arms. "The stakes are higher now, Dan."

His large frame relaxed against the back of the sofa, liking the way the lumpy furniture conformed to his body. Some how it made him feel better in a sea of turmoil. "Higher than getting pregnant?" he gently asked, not sure if he should risk reviewing the past and killing their current good will. He liked being in a good place with Karen. He felt like he could finally lower his defenses and not be so antagonistic all the time.

"STD's…AIDS…I think those are worse than grandbabies," she argued. Dan laughed at her words. "I'd rather Lucas and Nate avoid getting any of those." The idea of his sons being old enough to have their own babies was powerful. "Where have all the years gone? It seems like only yesterday that Daniel was born…" his voice trailed off, pain lingering at the thought of his youngest son.

Karen's heart lurched, seeing the stark pain so clearly etched on Dan's face. Her ex had always defined the word 'stoic', but she could see how sad Dan grew at the mere mention of Daniel's name.

She reached out and grasped his hand, gently squeezing it in support. "Do you want to talk about him?" she quietly asked, knowing that Dan didn't tend to talk to even his few close friends about personal matters. Karen simply could not fathom losing a child. She'd had so many problems when she was pregnant with Luke…it had always been her greatest fear during her pregnancy that she'd have a miscarriage. Losing a baby or a child wasn't something she thought she could bear.

Dan's breathing constricted, as feelings of grief and remorse washed over him. "Um…I don't usually talk about it," he muttered, not trusting his voice even as he trusted her. Karen continued holding his hand for support. "That's a long time to hold all those feelings inside," she said, encouraging him to open up.

Dan took a few steadying breaths, wondering how they'd gotten to this topic of discussion. "I feel like it's my fault. That I pushed too hard for another baby…" he started, voicing thoughts he'd refused to acknowledge for years. "Um, Deb and I were having…issues. I was working all the time and she wasn't very happy. I thought a new baby would help our family." Dan had always ignored the problems in his marriage, preferring to gloss over them and paint a glorious picture of his marriage for Nate. He was aware that it was revisionist history, that he and Deb had issues that were leading to divorce, but he couldn't bring himself to snatch away the last happy memories that Nate had of his family. How could he destroy the images that Nate held of a time he was too young to really remember clearly?

Karen actively listened, knowing how rare it was for him to share his fears and doubts. "Did Deb not want another baby?" Karen was always curious about why they'd waited 8 years to have another baby. She and Dan had always wanted a big family. It was obvious why she, as a single mother, had stopped after Lucas, but she'd always wondered why Dan didn't have more kids.

He shook his head in response to her question. "She didn't feel like she was fulfilling her goals by staying home. She didn't want to stop working again. But I kept pushing her, refusing to accept no for an answer. I just figured that another baby would…" his voice dropped off as he stared off in space.

Karen was shocked at the ravaged look on Dan's face. "Another baby would what?" she prompted, fascinated by this insider view into a women who had supplanted her in Dan's heart.

His shoulders hunched up, knowing that he'd never told anyone. "I thought a new baby would make me feel better about not being in Luke's life. That I could fill that hole up with another child," he whispered, slowly looking up to see her reaction.

Her mouth dropped open in shock. Part of Karen was stunned that Luke's absence in Dan's life had provoked such a power response. She'd rightfully focused on what his absence had done to her and her son, but she'd not considered how that decision had affected Dan and his family. Her childish, vindictive refusal to allow Dan joint custody had repercussions beyond her and her son.

Dan looked away, focusing on the occasional pedestrian on the sidewalk outside the Café's large bay window. "I pushed her to get pregnant and I ended up killing them both." Dan proactively wiped his eyes, not wanting Karen to see him break down.

Losing that battle, he abruptly stood up and moved away from her, fighting to control the tears from dropping. Karen watched him, feeling the need to offer him some kind of comfort. She moved up close behind him, stretching her small frame so she could lay a hand on his broad shoulder. His muscles were tight under her hand, and she could tell from his shaking frame that he was crying.

"It's not your fault, Dan," she murmured, sensing he needed some absolution. Her words soothed him on some level, but increased his guilt on others. "It is my fault, just like with Lucas. It's all mostly my decisions and my fault." His back was still toward her, so she gently turned him around to face her.

Reaching up, she gently wiped away a tear from his tanned face, realizing that after all these years she could still have empathy for him. "It's not your fault," she repeated, this time in a stronger voice. "We've all made bad decisions, Dan. But they didn't impact Daniel's health."

Her words filtered down through the layers of his brain, the layers of defenses he'd built up over the years around his heart. He reached out suddenly and pulled her into his arms, engulfing her into a bear hug. "Thank you," he whispered into her hair, sinking into the comfort of her arms. For the first time in nearly 8 years, Dan Scott felt relief and forgiveness for the sins he carried. It had been too many years since he'd felt the warmth of a female body, the comfort another human could provide.

Karen remained still at the onset of the hug, unused to such intimate contact with the father of her son. She was stunned at how easily years of hate had melted away with a few gut wrenching conversations.

Eventually, she brought her arms around his warm body, scared at how safe she felt being in the shelter of his arms.

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 24

* * *

"It's beautiful out here," Nathan awkwardly stated, taking in the girl next to him as much as the fall scenery around them.

Haley and Nathan meandered around the quiet streets of Tree Hill, ice cream cones in hand, strolling along as if they hadn't just witnessed the most bizarre dinner of all time. After being summarily dismissed from the Café by Dan, they had made their way to the main strip of town. Having convinced Nathan to stop by her favorite ice cream  
store, Haley contentedly tended to her cone as they leisurely walked through the streets.

Stealing quick glances at Haley, Nathan considered the best way of asking her out. He'd wracked his brain, trying to find the best opportunity to ask her out but the constant stress of the night had won out. He'd yet to find a way to cross the boundary between their tutoring relationship and what he hoped would be something a lot more personal.

"That was an intense dinner," Haley commented, staring up into Nathan's startling blue eyes. She finished the last of her cone and fused with the left over wrapper until Nathan's hand slid around hers, grabbing the offending paper and tossing it into the nearest trash can. She watched in admiration as his body uncoiled from his impromptu jump shot. He turned and caught her staring at him from behind. A sly smile covered Nate's face as he recalled how she'd caught him staring at her form earlier in the kitchen that night. "I guess I'm not the only one who likes to stare," he gently teased, enjoying the red flush that appeared across her checks.

Haley gave in to her embarrassment only for a moment, before shrugging her shoulders. She knew when she'd been caught in the act. "What can I say? You have great form from behind."

Sensing a momentum change in his direction, Nathan picked up her hand as they made their way along the semi deserted main street of Tree Hill. "Would that form be good enough to get you to go to the movies with me, once I'm ungrounded?" He uncharacteristically looked down at his feet, unused to be so uncertain around a girl.

Haley stopped in the middle of the sidewalk for a moment, letting Nathan walk a few feet in front of her before he turned and finally looked her in the eye. Haley smiled at him and drew him closer to where she stood. When they were little more than a foot apart, Haley gave him a sly, slow nod. "Yes, I'd love to go see a movie with you."

Nathan grinned at her. It had taken him weeks of rote speech rehearsals to work up the courage to ask Haley out. And she'd finally accepted. Fighting the urge to kiss her right then and there, Nate settled for grabbing her hand and walking down the street. It was just a date, but it had a lot of potential.

* * *

The occasional overhead street light blurred by as Brooke maneuvered her car through the sleepy residential section of Tree Hill. She looked over at Lucas, who sat slumped in her passenger seat, the very picture of contemplation. She refocused on the road, turning up the radio to help mask the silence that had descended over Lucas since they'd left the library.

Luke leaned his head against the side of Brooke's car, not particularly caring where they were going. His stomach was still growling, a result of too much vodka and Dan in one night. The sound of Dan Scott's voice jolted him out of his seat. Luke spun around to  
check the back seat of the car, before a hand on his shoulder gently spun him around.

"It's the radio, Luke. It's just a commercial for the dealership on the radio," Brooke said, soothing him as she deftly navigated the empty streets near her house. Her heart clenched at Luke's panic at the mere sound of his father's voice. Turning down the volume, she blocked out Dan's promises of great bargains and deeply discounted year end models. "Talk to me, Luke," she gently cajoled, hoping she could jolt him out of the melancholy that had taken hold of him.

Sighing, Luke looked over at her and knew that he could trust her. In a world turned upside down, Brooke was turning out to be an oasis of sanity for him. "That man has never had five minutes to spare for me and now he's every where," Lucas explained, pointing to the now silent radio as proof of his omnipresent yet absentee father. "It's like everything in my life is changing and I don't have a clue what's going to blindside me next," he revealed.

Brooke leaned back into her seat, knowing his pain all too well. She lay awake at night in fear of her step-father and what lewd comment or action he'd make next. She leaned her head over toward his and gently traced his tense jaw line. "There has to be more than these dinners that's got you so tightly wound about your parents," she said, knowing that Luke's emotions were like an onion, layers of deep feelings beneath layers of silence.

The car pulled up into her spacious driveway and he watched as Brooke carefully parked the car. He turned to face her, taking her hands in his. "I found this stupid photo album six months ago," he started, not sure why this was such a big point for him. He looked up and saw her very encouraging eyes, so he continued on. "It was a book of pictures of Dan and my mom when they were younger."

Brooke's head tilted to the right a second, realizing the growing importance of such an album. "You'd never seen a picture of the two of them together and happy, have you?" she gently asked him. He shook his head and continued to hold her hand. "My mom has this hidden stash of Dan stuff that she's been hoarding over the years. I'd never seen a single picture of them together before that album. And the next day, I went to look for it and it was gone." He leaned back against the car seat, not sure why those pictures upset him so much.

Brooke immediately got the importance of the situation. "You feel that your mom has hidden those pictures from you, just like she's hidden the details of what happened between them?" she conjectured, knowing that she was always right when it came to the motivation of scorned women.

Luke's nodded at her words. "It's like she's hiding something from me. Also, I have this nagging feeling about the accident."

Brooke's brow furled for a moment, trying to place his words. "Oh, the accident you had sophomore year, right?" He nodded at her words, still lost in the haze of his family's past. "I just have this nagging feeling that something happened that no one told me about."

"Well, let's review what you know," Brooke suggested. "It was a car wreck on Main street, you ended up in the hospital for a few weeks, and your uncle was driving," she summarized. Though she wasn't friends with Lucas during that time, Tree Hill was a small town. Everyone knew everyone and a life threatening accident was a prime topic of conversation for all the town's residents.

Lucas pondered her words and then nodded in agreement. "But there are strange contradictions in the story I know. First, Keith was seriously banged up. If he was in and out of consciousness, how could he have carried me to the emergency room?" Bits and pieces of information Lucas had gleaned over the months were floating around in his head, begging to find some logic in this distorted puzzle.

"Maybe he got someone to help you to the hospital, therefore both saving you and not totally responsible for taking you?" she proposed, seeing some of his confusion. Luke shook his head. "And how could he perform CPR on me if he was that hurt?"

Sighing, Lucas slammed his hand against the dashboard in frustration. Brooke's heart ached at his pain and confusion, knowing that the accident was just a diversion from the drama surrounding Dan. She reached out and took his hand and gently kissed it, a plan already forming in her mind.

"Why can't we just go down to the hospital and get your records from that night?" she asked, thinking the best way to clear up a foggy situation was to go directly to a neutral source with a ton of official records.

Lucas shook his head at her words. "I already thought about that. They won't give records to a minor without an adult's signature," he revealed, having anonymously inquired about that a few months ago. "Besides, the minute I try to get those records, the entire town will know and my mom will know I went behind her back." Tree Hill was impossibly small. The nurses who worked at the hospital also tended to take lunch breaks at Karen's Café. "There's no way I'll ever get those records without my mom finding out."

A slow smile crossed Brooke's face at those words. "Do you really feel you can't ask you mom for the truth?" she inquired, wanting to make sure there were no other options available. Luke's face grew even sadder. "I don't trust my mom anymore, Brooke. I know she's been hiding things from me about my family and the accident, and after the Dan stuff, I don't trust her judgment." It about killed Lucas to say those words, but it was the truth. For the first time in his life, he didn't trust his mother's decisions not to hurt him.

Nodding, Brooke grabbed her keys and her purse and moved out of the car. Luke followed her somewhat uncertainly; knowing that he still had to get home before he got grounded again. Brooke took his hand and walked toward the front door of her house. "Come inside for a few seconds and I'll explain my plan," she said. If Luke wanted the truth, then Brooke would get him those medical reports. It was as simple as that.

Laughing, Brooke threw open the door as Luke's hands traveled over her body. Sighing, she realized that she'd managed to snap him out of the depression that had possessed his mind and body the past few hours. Hearing a noise to the side of them, her face immediately fell.

"Brookie." Trey's words carried through the massive marble entryway of the house, causing Lucas to immediately sober up and remove his hands from his girlfriend's body. He noticed that Brooke's small body immediately tensed up and the joy she'd had just seconds ago was gone.

Lucas watched as a formally dressed man in his mid forties walked over toward them, clearly sizing up his new guest. An uncomfortable silence descended upon the room.

* * *

Next:

Lucas meets the evil parents  
Brooke's mom is less than thrilled with the particular Scott boy in her entryway  
Brooke gets some scary news and turns to someone for help


	25. Chapter 25

Note: I've been writing this story forever, way before someone gave Brooke a mother on the show. I named my character Katherine, and decided to keep it rather than to be consistent with the show. Apologies and all that!

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 25

* * *

The air in the room grew colder with each passing moment. Brooke pulled back, closer to the door as if seeking refuge from the storm that was about to ensue. She'd been successful in avoiding this meeting for so long that she'd lost the panic that was now building up inside her. She took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself down. It was all about management. She just had to find a way to fend off Trey, manage her mother and make sure that Lucas didn't get caught up in her sick family.

Feeling Brooke's hand tremble in his, Luke's confusion grew as the pin stripe suited man stopped a few feet in front of him and proceeded to look him over like a bargain on Christmas Eve. Lucas stood toe to toe with the guy, not sure how they got into a pissing contest without a spoken word between them.

"Brookie, I think an introduction is in order," Trey said, his tone both smirking and rebuking at the same time. Luke's eyes instantly narrowed at the name "Brookie". He hated it and he could tell by the way his girlfriend's shoulders tensed up that she despised it as well. He reached out to where she stood, still silent, and pulled her closer to him.

Brooke drew strength from her boyfriend and eventually answered her step father. "Trey, this is Lucas, my boyfriend." Lucas fought the urge to smile at the label. It was a whacked out time to start dating someone, between the Dan situation and his constant groundings, but he liked the way the term sounded on her luscious lips.

"Lucas Scott," he offered, sticking his hand out toward the stuffy man in front of him. He appeared to be about the same age as Dan, but had a much more formal look about him.

Examining the proffered hand for a moment, Trey hesitantly reached out and shook Luke's hand. "John Jacob Herrington," the older man imperiously announced, failing to intimidate Lucas. He'd been around that obnoxious, self important tone his entire life, in the form of Dan Scott. Well, as obnoxious and self important as he could be from across town with his other family, Lucas thought.

Having been curiously quiet for most of the interaction, Brooke stepped forward and moved between the two men. "It's getting late, Lucas. You can take my car home and pick me up in the morning for school," she explained, ignoring Trey's evaluating expression. All she needed was for her money grubbing stepfather to start harassing Lucas for his socio-economic status.

Trey interrupted her, moving between Lucas and the door. "Now, Brookie, if this boy is going to be dating you, we need to sit down with him and get to know him," Trey commented, not quite covering his possessive attitude with his faux hospitality.

A staccato tapping of heels echoed toward the entryway from the second floor landing. Lucas followed the sound and lifted his eyes up to the landing where an elegantly dressed lady stood staring down at him. She said nothing as she gracefully descended the marble stairs, but came to a slow stop in front of Lucas. He took in the woman's dark hair and features and knew was looking at Brooke's mother.

Katherine stood there for a moment and ran her critical eyes over the boy who stood in front of her. His shabby shoes were definitely a sign, she thought. The worn jeans with threadbare patches were another. How her only child could manage to bring home every homeless bum in town never failed to amaze Katherine. Sighing, she finally introduced herself to the boy. "I'm Katherine Brooke Herrington."

Lucas hesitated, knowing from the older woman's wrinkled nose that she found him repugnant. He stepped forward, refusing to let her judgmental attitude get to him. "Lucas Scott," he said, feeling stupid for limiting his conversation to his name.

Katherine's eyes narrowed at his name. She looked at Brooke in confusion. "I thought his name was Nathan," she asked, before moving over to stand next to her husband. Luke heard Brooke sigh, as she shook her head in annoyance. "Nathan is my best friend, mother. This is Lucas," she pointed out, not expecting her mother to be able to identify her lifelong best friend. That might be expecting her to pay attention to her daughter's life, and Brooke knew that wasn't going to happen. Katherine looked unrepentant, these kids changed grew and changed appearances so frequently it was hard to tell one tall lanky boy from another.

Trey ran his hand up his wife's back even as he stared intently at his stepdaughter. Brooke ignored his lascivious look and moved closer to Lucas, intent on getting him out of this freak show. "Lucas, I'll see you tomorrow," she began, but was cut off by her mother's sudden recognition.

"Lucas Scott. You're that waitress Karen's boy, right?" she asked, knowing her words had hit their mark as Lucas bristled under her condescending tone. It was nothing new, he'd weathered similar remarks from the country club set for years, as his schoolmates had picked up on their parent's views.

He exhaled a moment, not wanting to go off on his girlfriend's mother. "Yes, Karen is my mother and no, she's not a waitress. She owns her business," he emphasized, wanting these two snobs to understand that while they weren't business tycoons, they weren't on welfare either.

Katherine gave a sly look to her husband, before moving over to where her daughter stood with her new boyfriend. She'd have to end her daughter's delusions on that point immediately. "That's right…she has that quaint little Café near the river. You live in that part of town, don't you?" Katherine asked, knowing full well that he literally lived on the other side of the tracks. She gave her daughter a pointed look, hoping that Brooke would realize how foolish she was being. Bringing home a boy like this could only ruin her future.

Making the connection, Trey directed his words at Lucas. "Is Dan Scott your father? We played a round of golf at the club last weekend." While Trey was new to Tree Hill, he'd worked hard to form a group of associates in the small town. While there were few people who could match his portfolio, Trey had attempted to form ties with the citizens of Tree Hill that had decent bank accounts.

Lucas fidgeted for a moment, realizing that Trey probably didn't know the twisted Scott family history. "I don't have anything to do with either Dan Scott or his country club," Luke finally replied, hoping that Trey was smart enough to realize that this was a private family matter that Lucas did not want to discuss.

Katherine sensed his discomfort and jumped into the fray. "Of course Dan is his father, at least biologically," she sweetly drawled, wrapping her venous words in a slow southern drawl. Brooke's eyes narrowed as she watched her mother systematically attack her boyfriend, point by point. It wasn't anything conscious, Brooke realized. Her mother had done the same thing to her for the past 16 years, finding small flaws and imperfections and digging away until they became gaping wounds.

Brooke watched as Luke flinched somewhat under her mother's words. She moved between her mother and Lucas, desperate for any kind of intercession from this train wreck in progress. "Mother, Lucas has to go home since it's a school night," she said, physically moving him toward the massive door at the other end of the entryway.

"Of course, dear," she called after them, relief clearly coloring her eyes as that boy left her home. "We need to discuss your cotillion plans anyway." Hand on the obnoxious brass door handle, Brooke froze, before turning toward her mother.

"It's all taken care of. Lucas is going to take me to cotillion," she deftly replied, looking up at her boyfriend for reassurance. Outside of making snide remarks about the stupid, antiquated debutant ball, Brooke hadn't really talked about the event with Lucas. Now that they were dating, she hoped he'd put aside his intense dislike for the country club types and escort her to the ball. Not to mention she had a few ideas of what she'd like to do with him after the party…

A look of horror crossed Katherine's face. "Oh, Brooke, I don't think having Lucas take you to the ball is a good idea," she stumbled, for once completely speechless. The idea of her daughter attending the biggest event of her life with a boy from such a dubious background was nearly more than she could take. "This is a very formal event and I'm not sure that Lucas would feel comfortable in such a setting."

Fed up, Lucas slowly turned around and faced Katherine. "Oh don't worry, I'll try not to eat with my fingers or pee in the topiaries," he said, giving Brooke a sad look before stalking out the door. The sound of the door slamming caused Brooke to jump. Slowly she turned to face her mother, who looked chagrined at Luke's parting words.

Katherine looked at Trey a moment before turning back to her daughter. "That is why you don't date boys from disparate backgrounds," she exclaimed, dropping into a Louis XVI chair near the stairway. "Sometimes Brooke, I have to wonder if there's a brain in that head of yours." Trey walked over to her and offered his wife a comforting hand to hold, all the time staring at Brooke.

She walked over to where the adults were, arms wrapped across her stomach. The urge to toss her cookies on her mother's favorite heirloom Aubusson carpet was overwhelming. "Was there a point to you being a total bitch and treating him like trailer park trash?" she asked, furious that her mother had tried to ruin the only good thing in her life. Or maybe she had already ruined it. Lucas was absolutely rigid has he'd brushed past her at the door. Maybe there wasn't going to be a second chance for them after her mother's behavior.

"You bring home the illegitimate son of Dan Scott and that…Karen person and you expect me to be pleased? There isn't a single boy in this town I would find more reprehensible than Lucas Scott," she replied, furious that Karen Roe had managed to disrupt her life yet again. Nathan was acceptable, but there was no way that Katherine would let Brooke ruin her future by dating a boy who was likely going to end up working in a diner or as a mechanic. At least Nathan had some good financial prospects.

Sadness ran over Brooke rather than anger. Sadness that her mother would never truly know love or kindness for another human being. And fear, too. Fear that Brooke would end up just like her mother, trapped in a series of cold, empty relationships. She walked over to where her mother sat. "I can easily fix this problem. I'm not going to the cotillion," she stated, not caring about the stupid dance if she couldn't take the escort she wanted.

Katherine's face literally went pale at her daughter's words. She brought a hand up to her heart, convinced that it was only a matter of seconds before she passed out. Trey murmured calming words to her, all the time staring at Brooke. "Brookie, I don't think you're being rationale, and you're upsetting your mother," he began, knowing how much work his wife had put into Brooke's big societal debut.

"Oh, I'm being completely rational. She's already run my father off and now I don't have a date for this stupid event," she shouted, completely furious at her mother's nastiness.

Katherine gave Trey a glance, readying herself for yet another tirade about her ex-husband. "Your father made his own decision not to escort you to the biggest event of your life," she stated, knowing that he was too busy with his barely legal trollop in Charleston to care too much about his daughter.

Brooke crossed her arms and stared at her mother in disdain. "You did everything you could to make it impossible for him to come to the party. If daddy and Lucas aren't going, then I'm not going." It felt good to finally stand up to her mother. For so long Brooke had let her mother shove her around, dictating the pattern of her life and daily existence. But she was sick of it, sick of the lecherous stepfather and sick of her mother in general.

Katherine stood up and stalked over to stand in front of her rebellious daughter. "For three generations, every female in this family has attended the club's deb ball. You will not break that tradition," she hissed, her features twisting like a creature from a horror movie.

Brooke refused to back down, beginning to see how totally pointless her mother's pathetic existence was. It was an endless round of parties and charity events, all based on appearances, money and gossip. She gently shook her head, realizing that she had to stop this cancer before it consumed her soul and she became as worthless as her mother. "What are you going to do? Force me into a white dress and drag me into the club?"

Her mother's botoxed forehead smoothed out momentarily and her sugar sweet tone returned. "No, but I can send you off to that lovely convent school in Kentucky. You know, the one with the uniforms and the nuns," she reminded Brooke, having used the threat in the past. "And then you won't have any access to your little friend Lucas or that cheer squad you love so much."

Katherine's threats struck deep. Cheering was one of the few things Brooke was any good at and Lucas was one of the only people in her life who made her feel important. She looked down at the antique Chinese vase on the table and resisted the urge to throw it against the gilt walls. "I can always go live with Daddy," she threatened, watching as a smile crossed her mother's face.

"You try that, dear. We all know that your father is too busy with his new wife to put up with you living with him," she retorted, once again making Brooke feel like a burden to everyone in her family.

Knowing that she'd won this round, Katherine wrapped her arm around her husband. "Besides, we've already worked out the details. Trey can take your father's place for the cotillion and J.J. can be your escort for the rest of the evening."

Her heart began racing as she looked from her mother to Trey. "I don't want to go with J.J.," she stated, forcing the panic out of her voice. It was her worst nightmare come to life, being forced to spend any time along with her step-father's son. She'd managed to avoid him every since the night of the wedding.

Trey walked over to where she stood and slid his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. "Brookie, you'll have a great time. J.J. has already escorted four girls to various cotillions. Unlike Lucas, he'll be comfortable with the setting and the rituals associated with your big night," he said, lowering his hand so that it rested on the bare skin between her low rise jeans and short top. She felt nauseous, wanting to throw his hand off her body and scream at her mother, who was completely oblivious to her husband's hands.

He gave her a final squeeze, letting his hand slid down the curve of her body to linger on her ass. "J.J. will take special care of you," he murmured. Brooke felt frozen, unable to scream or move or throw his hands off her. The idea of having to spend an entire night trapped between Trey and J.J. caused her heart to constrict, forcing her to fight to get air in her lungs.

Without another word, she bolted from the foyer, taking the marble stairs two at a time. Anything to get away from these people. The echo of her kitten heels tapping down the hallway chased Brooke into her room. She slammed the door shut, leaning against it for added security in case someone bothered to come after her. Ten minutes passed before she forced herself to move. She shakily made her way into her bathroom, fumbling first with the light switch and then with the door to her ornate medicine cabinet. She knocked over various bottles until she found the huge container of her mom's industrial strength valium. Popping two, she slid against the cold white tile floor and fought off the memories of that night. Of J.J.'s hands forcing her down and taking her clothes off her unwilling body.

Eventually, calmness descended over her, a gift from the magical pills she'd stolen for the nights when the memories were too vivid for her to bury. She tried to stand, but was too weak and she opted to crawl across her bedroom floor to the sleek black phone next to her bed. She couldn't stand being in that house another second, but knew she couldn't stand let alone drive anywhere. She fumbled with the keypad, having trouble hitting the right numbers. There was only one person that could help her now.

A voice answered on the other end of the line. She croaked out "I need help."

Dropping his pencil, homework forgotten, Nate's sense of concern grew. "I'll be there in a second," he said, dropping the phone as he grabbed his keys and left the house.

* * *

Good? Bad? Overly trite? LOL...thanks for reading, as always.

Next up (and I hope it's up very soon):

Nate comes to the rescue  
Karen and Luke clash  
Dan deals with the changing nature of friendships


	26. Chapter 26

Thanks for the awesome reviews! It's always good to know that the writing really compels people to reply. I also love that people get invested in the storyline.

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 26

* * *

Nate carefully navigated the rose trellis at the end of the portico of Brooke's house. He'd done this for years, sneaking into her room and waiting for her to sneak out to meet him. He stumbled in the moonless night, wishing that the second floor of the massive house had some lights on to help him as he lightly treaded toward her room across the top of the house's portico.

Sliding open the French door to Brooke's room, he glanced around, squinting in the low light from the bathroom. Hearing a muffled gasp, he turned toward the corner of the room and saw his friend curled up, knees tucked into her chest, sobbing. He quickly moved to her side, knocking over the liquor bottle that spun away from them across the cold black and white floor. He stared at the bottle a moment before sliding down to sit next to her. He groped for her hands in the room's low lighting and was shocked at how cold and clammy they were, and how her entire body was shaking like an impending earthquake.

"Brooke, what happened?" he gently asked, knowing that she'd been less than forthcoming in the past six months. Their once easy conversation was strained by some force he didn't quite know or understand. Hearing her hiccup, Nate stood up and made his way to her bathroom, intent on finding her something non alcoholic to drink. The little yellow pills scattered across her white marble vanity drew his attention instead. Grabbing the bottle, Nate stalked out to where his friend sat, still huddled in the corner of her room.

"How of many of these did you take, Brooke?" he asked, his tone both forceful and frightened. He didn't know much about medication but he knew taking valium and drinking tequila was not a great way to end a night.

She looked up at him, her lithe body still shaking. "Two," she managed to squeak out, still freaked out by the fight with her parents. The valium had taken the edge off her panic but she was still unable to breathe deeply or stop her heart from racing.

"So you thought you'd helped the valium along by downing a pint of tequila?" He was growing angry with this situation. Not because his friend was in trouble but because Brooke was in so much pain, pain he couldn't elevate or fix. "It's dangerous to mix booze and pills, Brooke. They taught us that in health class last year," he said, grabbing a black chenille throw from the foot of her bed and wrapping it around her shoulders.

She visible gulped at his words, knowing she was being reckless. "I just wanted the pain to stop, Nate. I don't think I can handle this anymore," she explained, knowing that she lacked the words to describe the situation to her best friend. Brooke couldn't say the words to herself let alone to a man. And after their shared past and current friendship, that's all Nate was: a man just like J.J. and Trey.

He lifted her chin so she was forced to look into his very blue eyes. "What's going on in this house, Brooke? What's driving you to take pills and drown your sorrows in booze and sex?" It was the question that had been on his mind for the past six months.

Her lower lip quivered, fighting some demon that he couldn't see or protect her from. "Just get me out of this house," she pleaded, not capable of staying there another minute.  
Nate started to argue with her but caught a fleeting glance of something in her eyes…fear. She wasn't just upset about some fight with her mother, Brooke was terrified of something in this house.

Helping her stand up, he wrapped the black throw around her shoulders, hoping to stop the chills that still coursed through her body. He stopped and suddenly looked around. "What happened to the pink princess room?" he asked, not really noticing before how she'd redecorated her room in stark black and white. Gone was the frilly pink canopy bed and the pink carpet and drapes. This room was …hard, he decided. All angles and stark contrasts.

Brooke swayed a moment, unsteady on her bare feet. She slowly looked up at him and said, "That princess doesn't exist anymore. This isn't a fairytale." Nate looked at her for a moment, before nodding and guiding her out the door.

* * *

Lucas trudged up the steps to his house and made his way toward his door. Though it was early fall, the nights had gotten colder and he regretted having walked all the way across town in only a t-shirt. Maybe that was the point, he thought. He and Brooke were too geographically challenged to be dating. At least if he dated a girl from his side of town he'd not have to walk so far after getting thrown out of her house. Okay so maybe Brooke's parents hadn't thrown him out, but he was unwelcome just the same.

He paused a moment, wondering what he'd done in his short life to deserve the kind of universal scorn from the residents of Tree Hill. Or why Dan Scott seemed to be acceptable by the town when he'd abandoned his pregnant girlfriend and never supported his child. Luke shrugged off the vagaries of the situation and pushed his door open, seeking the sanctuary of his room. He flipped the light on and jumped when he realized that Karen had been sitting at his desk, waiting for him in the dark.

"You're home right on time," she dryly noted, realizing that the library closed at 9pm and the walk home would have only taken him 15 minutes. Her shoulders relaxed a bit, realizing that her son was trying to follow her rules. Karen wasn't sure when she'd gotten so suspicious about Luke's actions.

He watched her for a moment, before dropping on his bed. "What's next, a surveillance bracelet so you can monitor my movements?" Luke had had a bitch of a day and he certainly wasn't in the mood to rehash the horrible dinner with Dan.

She raised an eyebrow at his tone, gently reminding him that she'd not be talked to that way in her own home. "I don't consider making sure that you are safe at home on a school night at a decent hour surveillance," she reminded him, her voice full of reproach at his disrespectful attitude.

Lucas ignored her critique and moved around the room, removing his shoes and preparing for bed as if she weren't there. She watched him silently for a moment, knowing that he was so upset he'd lost the ability to articulate his anger.

"I'm not going away, Lucas. Eventually, you'll have to talk to me about the Dan situation," she said, noticing how his shoulders immediately tensed up under his faded blue t-shirt.

He slowly turned to face her. "There wouldn't be a Dan situation if you weren't intent on forcing him down my throat," he evenly replied, knowing that anger would only get him grounded again.

"Lucas," she slowly began, before he cut her off.

"You can do whatever you want with Dan and Nathan, but you can't force me to be anything other than coldly polite and distant. That's it, Mom. You might have gotten over your anger toward him, but I haven't. And it's my anger, Mom, not yours to absolve at will," he simply stated, before leaving her standing alone in his bedroom.

She watched him go, sinking down to his small bed in the stillness that remained. It would all work out, she mused. She just had to remain firm in her conviction that the best gift she could give her son was that of peace and forgiveness.

He just needed time, she reasoned.

* * *

Sighing, Nathan dropped his keys on his desk and turned to where Brooke was huddled on his bed. "Okay, what's going on?" he asked, having had his fill of sneaking in and out of houses for the night. Intrigue was great for a short term adrenaline rush but he could do without the drama and mystery that seemed to cling to his best friend.

She lowered her head and stifled a sniffle. She didn't have the energy to do this tonight. Between sneaking around with Lucas and fighting with her parents, she was emotionally tapped out and had been for months now. "Nate, I want to tell you. I do. But I can't do this tonight," she confessed, her hazel eyes tearing up at the idea of some late night confessional. The valium had kicked in and she loved the soft nothingness that enveloped her body and mind.

"You can't keep running from this, Brooke. Whatever it is is going to bite you in the ass eventually," he offered, knowing his plea fell on deaf ears. What ever trauma that had exposed the vulnerable side of Brooke had passed, leaving behind the cold, remote figure he'd come to know in the past six months.

"I know, Nate. Believe me when I tell you that I can't escape this, it keeps growing and morphing into a monster I can't slay." Nate sat down on the edge of his bed, stunned at the simply declaration of defeat. Brooke always found a solution to problems that they encountered in daily life. She wasn't one to give in and concede defeat. Dan had once mentioned that he'd kill to have Brooke on his sales staff because she never took 'no' for an answer. And yet here was his indomitable friend, throwing in the towel.

"Just tell me what's going on and you'll feel better," he cajoled, trying anything to get her to talk. Despite the frantic late night calls for help and the endless sleep overs when she was avoiding home, perhaps the scariest change in his friend was the silence that had hijacked her normally chatty personality.

She looked up at him, weighing what she thought he could handle and what she thought would change their relationship forever. "Do you remember when we were talking about Indiana and the caste system in sociology last year?" she suddenly asked. "Remember they had that group called the 'untouchables' that no one in society wanted to see or interact with?"

His brow furled in confusion, not sure where she was going with this conversation. "Um, I think that was India, Brooke, not Indiana."

Brooke grew impatient at his interruption, never having been good with the finer points of school. "India…Indiana, whatever," she said, rushing him through his confusion. "This class was considered so unclean that they couldn't even do their jobs within sight of the other castes."

Nate watched her for a moment, unsure what she was getting at. "Brooke, what does this have to do with tonight?" He knew he wasn't as touchy feely as Lucas was, but he was trying to decode her girl language.

She pulled her knees back toward her chest, curling in on herself. "I don't want to talk about it, Nate. It makes me feel unclean, like one of the untouchables. What if I tell you and you don't want me to be your friend any more?"

The stark vulnerability in her voice stabbed at his heart. He wasn't used to feeling helpless and uncertain. Those weren't Scott family traits. But watching the tears form in her eyes as she watched his reaction tore at his soul. Something was going on that was so serious she feared their friendship if it got out. He strained for a second, mentally trying to put pieces of the past few months into a frame.

"Brooke, is your stepfather hurting you?" he asked, not sure if his hunch was correct or not. He'd never liked Trey, but the man had never said or done anything to raise his suspicion. He just didn't like something about the guy's oily nature. But the time frame was indisputable. The drinking, the sex and the late night visits all increased after her mother had married that guy, he calculated. But he'd not seen any bruises on her during that time and he wasn't sure what was causing the fear that was becoming embedded in her eyes.

Brooke sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I can't do this tonight, Nate. I just want to get some sleep." He realized it was late and she really was emotionally worn out. "Okay, let's get you a shirt and some sweats and into the guest room," he said, conceding that she wasn't going to tell him anything revealing tonight. He had to respect her boundaries and she clearly wasn't capable of any more turmoil tonight.

She stood up and accepted a pair of too large flannel pants and an old basketball shirt. "Uh, would it be okay if I just stayed in here tonight," she asked in a small voice, knowing that she'd not done that in years. She caught his questioning glance and averted her eyes. "I just don't want to be alone tonight. I'll feel safer if I'm near you."

He leaned back against his dresser, not sure how to react. It's not like he had any romantic feelings toward her, not after all the years of friendship, but she was still a very girly girl. Sighing, he walked over to his bed and fluffed his extra pillow. "Come on," he said, holding up the down comforter for her.

* * *

Dan shut off the lights in his office and headed up the stairs, ready for bed after a long night of working at home. The work was just a distraction from the situation with Lucas. He was afraid if he stopped to think that he'd end up reconsidering the entire deal he had going with Karen. It was just too much work to fight with both his sons at the same time.

He walked down the hallway intent on getting to the master suite and going to sleep, when he noticed the light that crept out from under Nate's door. Nate tended to fall asleep with every electronic device he owned powered on, be it the TV, the lights or his stereo. Dan leaned in the room and paused as he took in the sleeping figures wrapped up in covers on opposite sides of the bed. Taken aback, he lingered, as if to reaffirm the sight of his son sleeping in bed with his female best friend. Dan squinted, seeing what he could only assume were black smears of mascara tracks under the girls eyes, her make up smeared against her delicate features. Someone had not had a good night, he surmised.

Flipping the light off, Dan pulled the door gently behind him, not wanting to wake the kids up. He'd have to have a discussion with his son in the morning about overnight guests. It was one thing for Brooke to crash in their house, but it was an entirely different matter for her to sleep in Nate's bed. As he made his way into his own room, he paused, remembering Brooke's face with her smeared make up and swollen eyes. Something was going on in this house of hers and he needed to get to the bottom of it.

As Dan closed his eyes that night, the last thought he had was that Lucas was going to freak out if he found out that his girlfriend was sleeping in his brother's bed. Yet another battle to rip the brothers apart, he mused.

* * *

Thanks for reading. Replies are always welcomed and may remind me to post another chapter this weekend.

In the next few chapters:

Nate and Luke don't fight

Dan talks to everyone

Brooke avoids her demons, again


	27. Chapter 27

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 27: A Multitude of Journeys

* * *

Nathan grabbed his backpack and quietly shut the door to his bedroom behind him. Brooke was in the throws of a massive hangover, the emotional trauma in conjunction with the booze and drugs left her barely conscious and unwilling to go to school.

Hoping to sneak out of the house before Dan noticed him, Nate quietly grabbed a banana from the kitchen counter and headed for the back door.

A voice stopped him in mid step. "Aren't you forgetting your gym bag?" Dan asked, cup of coffee in one hand and Nate's blue Raven's bag in the other. Dan dropped his bag by the kitchen island and motioned Nathan to the other chair. "Leaving early this morning, aren't you?" he asked, knowing full well why Nathan was sneaking out of the house early.

Knowing he'd been caught, Nathan reluctantly sat down and took the plate of food that his dad offered. "Okay, so you want to know why Brooke's upstairs?" he asked, finding no reason to try to lie his way out of it. Ever since his dad had been hanging around Karen, he'd suddenly rediscovered parenting 101 skills that Nathan thought were long buried with his mom.

Dan leaned back in his chair and looked at his son expectantly. "You know, I think I'm pretty cool as far as parents go. I don't micromanage. I don't follow you around making sure that you aren't drinking. I don't get into your love life," he said, listing off each of the ways he was a great parent. "But I can't ignore you sleeping with a girl under my nose," he stated, trying to take a firm stance with his son for once.

Nathan's eyes widened at his dad's words. "I wasn't sleeping with Brooke," he exclaimed. "She had a bad night at home and she came over here to sleep," Nate argued, wanting his father to understand why Brooke had to get away from her house.

Dan played with his coffee cup a moment before looking up at his son. "That's what guest rooms are for, Nathan. You were in bed with the girl. What am I supposed to think?" he asked, trying to draw the distinction for his son.

"She was scared, Dad. I don't mean upset or mad, she was afraid to be in her house. I found her on the floor of her room and she could barely form a sentence. Was I supposed to leave her alone to fend for her herself?" Nathan asked, slamming his hand against the green marble counter out of frustration.

Dan considered his words, knowing that something was definitely wrong in the Davis house. "I think you are right that something's wrong with Brooke. She's not been herself for a long time. But son that does not mean it's okay to have females sleep in your bed. If she fell asleep in your room, you should have taken the guest room," Dan explained, wondering when his son had formed the idea that he could make up his own rules.

Seeing that his son fully understood his anger, Dan relented a bit, realizing that he'd badgered the boy enough already. "Have you seen any bruises on Brooke? Maybe a black eye or some marks on her arms?" he asked, sincerely worried about his son's friend. Dan had always felt a bit protective of the girl, as she'd spent more time in his house than her own the past few years. He could tell that something wasn't right with the girl, but had marked it down to her parent's divorce and the general trauma of adolescence.

He shook his head. "Brooke wears too many sleeveless outfits to hide bruises. I've not seen anything suspicious."

Dan considered a less pleasant notion. "Could Lucas be part of this?" he asked, knowing that he was a new factor in Brooke's life. He didn't want to think that his oldest son was capable of violence but if Brooke was terrified, there had to be some sort of human influence.

Nathan's eyes grew big at Dan's insinuation. "You honestly think Lucas is smacking Brooke around?" he asked, genuinely shocked that Dan thought so little of his own son.

"It's the first rule of any investigation. You suspect the people closest to the victim. In Brooke's case, that would leave her family and Lucas." Dan wasn't one to dwell on the facts too much. Either Lucas was involved or he wasn't. Lucas had a ferocious temper that Dan had experienced first hand. And Dan really didn't know the boy well enough to rule him out of the situation.

"I don't really like the guy, but he's not into violence," Nate firmly stated, knowing that Lucas wasn't hurting his best friend. He looked up at Dan. "If you could see them at lunch together…he feeds her Oreos and makes sure she eats real food instead of just diet coke. He carries her pom poms to practice for her. This isn't a guy whose going to rough her up," Nate empathically stated.

Dan dropped his cup into the sink, and moving restlessly around the kitchen. "Then that leaves her mother and stepfather." Nathan slowly exhaled, not wanting to encroach on the topic of Katherine Brookes Davis. "I don't know, Dad. But something has to be done. She can't take much more of this." He could tell from sleeping next to her last night that she'd lost weight recently. Her bone thin frame had bumped into him several times during the restless night.

Grabbing his briefcase and a muffin from the tray on the counter, Dan headed for the door. "I'll do my best to check out the stepfather," he said, pulling the door open to the garage. "Until then Nate, try to keep members of the opposite sex out of your bed. Consider it a new ground rule." He raised his eyes at Nathan before shutting the door and making his way to his Escalade.

Nate leaned back against the door and sighed. This was not going to be an easy day.

* * *

Lucas shuffled over to where Brooke's locker stood, empty and unattended. He'd made excuses to stop by between every class period and he'd yet to see Brooke all day. A vague sense of panic was building inside him. But given that he'd been kicked out of her house just hours before, Lucas wasn't sure if she was mad at him for being crude to her mother or if even he had the right to be mad at her for her mother's caustic remarks.

Nate looked over his shoulder and saw Lucas loitering about Brooke's locker, looking morose and lost. Finding a tiny shred of sympathy for his big brother, Nate walked over and dropped a hesitant hand on Luke's shoulder. Lucas pulled back immediately, suspicion written all over his face. Nathan instinctively jerked his hand away, hurt that Lucas had completely rebuffed his kind gesture.

Nathan took a step back from the brooding boy in front of him. "I wanted to let you know that if you are looking for Brooke, she didn't come to school today." Lucas didn't deserve this information, Nate thought, but Brooke needed all the support she could get. And if that meant telling the loser in front of him about the situation last night, then that was something he could suck up and do.

Lucas distractedly chewed on his cuticle for a moment, torn between his worry about Brooke and his hatred for looking weak in front of Nathan. His concern finally trumped his dislike of his younger brother. "Is she out sick?" he uncertainly asked, not sure if Brooke was as affected by her parents' rant as much as he was. God knows that Lucas hadn't slept a wink the night before, rehashing the utter disdain on Katherine's face as she examined him like he was trash at the curbside.

Leaning against her locker, Nate shifted his backpack from his shoulder to the floor in front of them. "She spent the night with me," he said offhandedly, not thinking about the context of his words.

Luke's shoulders tensed up. "She WHAT?" he asked, his tone dripping with anger. He knew that Brooke was probably upset with him, but he couldn't understand her running off to Nathan.

People in the hallway were starting to stare. "Calm down, dude," Nathan said, looking around to make sure no teachers were around. "She had a major breakdown last night and needed to get out of her house. She crashed in my room after taking some pills and downing some booze."

Luke leaned back against a locker, relieved that she'd had some place to go even if it was with his worst enemy. "Brooke got into it with her mother last night when I brought her home from the library," he confided, realizing that Nate now knew that he'd lied to his mother about his school project to get out of the dinner the night before. None of that mattered if Brooke was in trouble, he rationalized. And popping pills with alcohol certainly implied things were worse at her house than at his.

Nathan considered his words. "Yeah, her mom's a first class bitch," Nathan agreed, knowing that the woman had caused his friend constant pain for most of her life. Katherine was not a woman that could be appeased and Brooke seemed to annoy her mother more than normal lately. "What was her mom ranting about this time?"

His older brother's expression soured at the question. "Mostly it was about me. Apparently I live on the wrong side of town to date be dating her daughter. And then they started arguing about some stupid dance Brooke wanted me to take her to."

"The Cotillion?" Nate asked, knowing that he was already roped into going, as was his dad. "God, that thing is going to be a nightmare. Stressed out girls in white dresses, overbearing mothers chasing them around all night, it's going to be worse than our wedding day," Nate confided, trying to show Lucas that being excluded was a good thing in this case.

"Well, I won't be there because I'm apparently too poor to date Katherine's daughter." Lucas dropped his backpack and absently kicked at the worn out strap that dangled near his foot.

Nathan grabbed Luke's backpack and started walking down the hall, motioning Lucas to follow him. Nate was making an effort here, he was trying to help his older brother out with his love life. Luke's brow furled a bit before he followed his brother down the hall and out to the parking lot. Walking toward Nate's SUV, their conversation turned back toward their mutual interest in Brooke. "You have to understand that in Katherine's world, there is no guy good enough to marry or date her daughter unless their last name is Kennedy. She's not just a snob, Lucas. She's an impossible snob with very high expectations that Brooke will marry into a well established, old family with a ton of money," Nate revealed, having heard Katherine's plans for the past 16 years.

"It's not that you aren't good enough," Nate said, "it's that 99 of the men out there aren't good enough to take Brooke to that dance. Luke, this dance means everything to her mother. It's a huge family tradition," he explained.

Luke considered his words, realizing that Nathan was right. It wasn't just his illegitimate status in life or that his mom owned a diner on the wrong side of town that caused Brooke's mom to hate him. It was that she had plans for Brooke that transcended Tree Hill's meager social offerings.

Nate opened his truck and motioned Luke to get in the passenger seat. "I can drive you over to her house and then get back to school before I'm marked for skipping class," Nate explained. "You just need to find her and get her to talk about what's going on. I know something is happening to her in that house but she's not talking to me." It was hard for him to ask his rival for help with his best friend, but Nate knew that Brooke trusted Lucas. And maybe she could tell him what she couldn't tell Nate. He wiped his hand over his eyes for a moment, worried about what would happen to her if she didn't confide in someone soon.

Lucas noted the action and how tired Nate looked. "She hasn't told me much, other than she doesn't like her stepfather," Luke confided, not sure how to handle having a normal conversation with the other boy. "Do you think he's hitting her or something?" His tone was uncertain as he'd never had any experience with abuse. His mother could barely tolerate spanking him as a kid and none of his friends ever had any problems like that.

Nathan's eyes avoided his brother's, as he reflected on his dad's questions about Luke's possible involvement with Brooke's situation. This was clearly not someone who was smacking his girlfriend around. Not that Nathan had seriously entertained that idea. Luke acted like a guy concerned about his girlfriend.

"I don't know Trey very well. He's got a great reputation in the business world and he's some sort of manufacturing guru, per all the stuff my dad's said about him," Nate finished, nothing Luke's reaction to the words "my dad". Some things might change but Nate wasn't willing to start referring to Dan as "their" dad any time soon.

He pulled up in front of Brooke's enormous white house and hesitated a moment before turning toward Lucas. "I realize that you probably …see more of Brooke than I do," he slowly began, hating himself for what he was about to ask. "Have you seen any bruises on her body, maybe in some of the harder to see regions?"

Luke's eyes squinted together and he turned his head to glance at Nathan in confusion. "Are you asking me if Brooke has bruises that can only be seen when she's naked?" God knows she practiced in a tiny little sports bra and dance shorts. There wasn't much of her body that the team didn't see every day in practice.

Nate turned red at his brother's question. "I…uh…I didn't mean to imply that you are seeing her in less than her practice clothes, but if you did happen to see a bruise or something, I'd like to know," he stumbled through, trying to not die of embarrassment. It was hard enough seeing Brooke date Lucas, but the idea of them having sex just grossed him out.

Luke watched the guy blush for a few minutes and then nodding. He understood what Nathan was trying to do. As he grabbed his back pack and opened the door, Nate called after him. "If you and Brooke don't get back to school soon, you won't be able to go to the game tonight. If Brooke won't come back to school, you need to so you can play tonight."

"Are you saying you'd miss me if I wasn't in the game tonight?" Lucas asked with a joking tone to his voice. Nate wrinkled his nose. "The word "miss" is too strong, but I do need some help on defense." Luke held his gaze for a moment and then turned to walk up the long path to Brooke's house.

Nate watched him go and then slowly drove off. He'd done all he could do for the day.

* * *

Thanks for reading and replying! Comments are always welcomed. I always wonder where people think this monster is going. Happy Labor Day to those in the United States. I'm off to write another chapter.


	28. Chapter 28

Thanks to Brucas Equal Love for reminding me to post an update.

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 28

* * *

Lucas waited in front of the massive red door, hoping that Brooke would eventually answer. He'd been there nearly five minutes and was growing more concerned and impatient by the moment. Intent on finding some way up to her second floor room, he stood back and studied the portico's columns, nearly jumping off the porch when the door  
finally flew open.

A dark haired lady with a sweeper in one hand and an apron in the other looked at Lucas quizzically. "Are you here to close the pool down for the winter?" she asked in a  
crisp, efficient voice. Lucas frowned wondering if he really dressed so badly that everyone in this house thought he was a laborer.

"No, I'd like to speak to Brooke," he said, co-opting his most polite tone. All he needed was another person in this house pissed at him, he thought.

The woman ushered him into the large marble foray. "She's in the pool house," the woman said, seemingly uninterested in why neither teen was in school. She motioned toward a door in the back of the massive entryway. "Take that door through the conservatory and go out across the yard." He nodded his thanks but the woman was off with her sweeper, intent on polishing the marble floor to a brilliant shine.

He meandered through some hallways and finally found the conservatory. He stopped for a moment and let out a low whistle of appreciation. The room had ceilings that seemed to be two stories high and was encased in glass. There were various plants and flowers scattered about and a massive baby grand piano dominated the far end of the massive room. For the first time the difference in his and Brooke's social class really hit Lucas. He knew she was rich but this was rich on a different scale than most of Tree Hill's upper class. Dan and Nathan had money. But not even their dominating mcmansion could compete with Brooke's monster estate.

He took a final look around the room before heading out the French door that led to the gardens outside. Lucas followed a winding path, eventually coming to stand in front of a medium sized structure that mimicked the big houses' architecture. Raising his hand to the red door, he knocked authoritatively, attempting to hide his uncertainty about the last time he and Brooke were together. Deep inside, Lucas was afraid that her mother had convinced her to stop seeing him. It had always been that way for Lucas. He'd been uninvited to birthday parties in grade school by parents who didn't want their kids associating with his "kind". In high school the problem was with girls who wanted to date him but were afraid to introduce him to their parents.

He'd had enough of being judged and rejected for the status of his birth. And Lucas was sick of sneaking around because girls were afraid their parents would find out about him. He needed to be accepted by someone...anyone that wasn't his mother or his life long best friend. If Brooke couldn't give him that acceptance, then he could live with it. But he couldn't bear lying about dating the girl so she could avoid disappointing her mother.

The door suddenly opened, startling Lucas out of his contemplations. Brooke slowly exhaled, seeing that it wasn't her mother or step father. She leaned against the door and waited for him to say something. Even after spending all night working on what to say to Lucas, she found herself unable to speak. How did one go about apologizing for a bitchy mother? Brooke knew that Lucas held his mother in the highest esteem...and even with all the Dan drama that was affecting his relationship with Karen, she knew that Lucas wouldn't want anyone insulting his mother.

Luke took in her frazzled appearance. This was definitely a side of Brooke Davis that he'd not seen before. Her hair was pulled into a messy ponytail on top of her head and her body was clothed in a Raven's sweatshirt that was 4 sizes too large on her tiny frame. She looked...fragile. "I wanted to stop by and check on you after last night. Nate said you weren't doing very well," he began, unsure if she was mad at him for his rude comments the night before.

She sighed, which emphasized the dark smudges under her hazel eyes. "You and Nate are now ganging up on me?" she quietly asked, not sure if she was touched that they'd put their differences aside over her or if she was annoyed that they were discussing her.

"Can I come inside?" he gently asked, not wanting to do this in front of the gardener who was pruning the bushes beside the pool. She hesitated for only a second and stepped back to allow him inside the pool house. Lucas walked in and looked around the room. It wasn't as stiff and formal as the main house but it was still nice enough to be in some decorating magazine.

They sat down on a soft leather couch in the center of the room. Brooke folded herself into the corner of the furniture, as if seeking refuge from the world around her. Lucas stared at the hardwood floor in front of him for a moment, appearing sadder than she could remember since the night they got drunk on the pier at Dan's beach house.

"I'm sorry if I caused problems for you with your mother last night," he softly began, not caring if he insulted the overbearing woman, but not wanting to cause Brooke any more family problems than she already had. "She just hit some raw nerves with me."

Brooke snorted at his overly kind words. "She was being a monumental bitch to you and I told her that," she revealed, sad to hear the tone of Luke's voice. He was so used to being treated badly by people in Dan's group that he was actually apologizing for his reaction. "You had every right to be mad and to say what you said to her."

He softly shook his head. "I was rude to an adult in her own house. My mother will kill me if she finds out what I said." Karen was no nonsense when it came to manners and even if she hated Katherine's words, she'd hate Luke's behavior even more. It was the same thing with Dan. She ignored how much the man had hurt him and focused on Luke's reaction to being forced to talk to him. It was a no win battle that he was getting tired of waging.

Brooke reached out and grabbed his hand, happy at simple contact with someone she trusted. "I gave her hell for what she said, but she's not going to change her mind about us. She's a snob, Luke. She always has been and she always will be."

"What does that mean for us?" he asked, almost afraid of her answer "I just want to let you know right now, I'm not going to sneak around." She was caught off guard by his defiant tone.

"Of course we aren't going to sneak around," Brooke reassured him. That was the last thing that had crossed her mind. She wanted to be free to hang out with Lucas and not hide their relationship like they had something to be embarrassed about. "I told her I wasn't going to that stupid dance and that I wasn't going to break up with you."

A look of relief crossed his face, and Luke let out the breath he'd been unconsciously holding. "I'm glad. I'm sick of hiding from people in this town because of Dan. I can't do that anymore," he admitted, letting her see the toll it had taken on him just to get through day.

Brooke leaned over and hugged him, knowing that she was not the only one with huge problems to work through. If there was anyone in town who could understand her family woes, it was Lucas and Nathan. "Speaking of family, did Nathan tell you about last night?" she asked, slightly stunned that any topic could make the two brothers drop their barriers and talk.

Lucas leaned back into the couch, trying not to wince at the memory of taking Nathan's help. "Yeah, I spent all day hanging out at your locker and he finally told me what happened last night. You want to elaborate on the pills and booze discussion?" His tone was kind but intent and Brooke knew it was going to be hard to deflect his curiosity this time.

Her chin dropped a bit in embarrassment. "It's not a big deal. My parents started bitching about the big dance and I needed a break," she lamely recounted, knowing that she was leaving out the most important part of the story. Brooke had no idea how to tell anyone about that night. At this point she'd have to settle for finding out a way to tell him that her parents wanted J.J. to take her to the cotillion.

Luke considered her words. "We all need that break sometimes, Brooke. I've been drinking more than normal because of the pressure. However, the drugs and the pills aren't a good thing," he finished, watching as she sank even lower into the couch. He lifted her chin. "I'm not lecturing you, but I am worried. So is Nathan. We just want to know what's going on."

"I can't get into the details of it, Luke" she offered her voice shaking a bit. How did you explain to a guy what it was like to be held down and forced to do things? She had a hard time explaining that night to herself on a good day. It was a complication her mind couldn't work out, especially in light of how drunk she'd been. Maybe she'd done something that had encouraged his actions that night. Maybe she hadn't resisted enough.

He watched her for a moment, seeing the fear that Nathan had described earlier in the day. A fear he'd not seen in her before. Or maybe he simply hadn't been looking for it in the party girl facade she presented to the world. "Something's got you scared, Brooke. Scared enough that you are afraid to be alone at night in your own house," he appraised, noticing that she wouldn't meet his eyes. "Brooke, you can trust me."

Her heart lurched at the honesty and sincerity in she heard in his voice. Karen had raised her boy well enough, Brooke thought, knowing that there was a purity about him that was well earned in his St. Lucas nickname. She looked up at him and gazed into his blue eyes. "It's not a question of trust, Lucas. There are some things that I just can't talk about right now. Things that are painful and confusing to me."

The pain in her voice was a stark contrast to the tired girl who sat next to him. She looked worn out and lost, yet the pain in her voice was passionate and strong. "I don't want to push you, Brooke. But it hurts that you can't tell me," he stressed, wanting her to have faith in him, like he had faith in her.

Sighing, Brooke drew her knees up under the huge sweatshirt she wore, seemingly shrinking in size right before his eyes. She dragged a much too long sleeve over her eyes and forced herself to breathe. "It's not a matter of trust, Luke. It's about something that I need to understand before I can tell others about it." She looked up at him, hopeful that he could understand the chasm she precariously stood on.

"If I pushed you to tell someone how you felt about Dan, could you do it justice?" she asked, putting him on the defensive. "I mean, you could tell them he's a low life, dead beat dad, but could you really explain what his benign neglect has done to your soul over the years?"

Luke leaned back against the sofa cushion and thought about her words. It was nearly impossible to explain all the feelings that had built up in him over the years… that he wasn't good enough for anyone, that he was incapable of being loved by a father, that there was something fundamentally wrong with him that repulsed everyone but his mother. The feeling of inadequacy had been his constant companion since he was a boy and had only grown, not abated, through the years. Lucas didn't know any other way to face the world and yet the idea of losing that scared him more than trying to have a relationship with his other family. Rejection was the only thing he knew and understood. Anything else was foreign and suspect to his soul.

Sighing, he looked over at Brooke and nodded. "I can understand that it's impossible to explain some feelings, especially when your families are as messed up as ours," he conceded, getting the point that some situations were impossible to articulate. "But you're going to have to talk about it someday." He'd pushed all he could and knew when he was being stonewalled. Brooke wasn't one to be pushed around easily.

A slow, sensuous smile crossed her face, knowing she'd won this round. She quickly moved back to where he sat in the center of the couch and curled into his side. Her hand slid across his flannel covered chest allowing her to take in the firm pectoral muscles that lay beneath. She felt his breath catch a moment as he leaned down and nuzzled her neck. "Why are we not naked right now?" he asked, letting his hands slide over her amazing curves.

Brooke answered with a searing kiss for a moment before pulling away. "Because you wanted to take things slow, remember?" she asked, jumping as she felt his hands move under her large sweatshirt, coming to rest on the small of her back. He sighed into her soft hair for a moment and then pulled away. He needed to take things slow so that neither of them got hurt by reckless mistakes.

He looked over at where she sat with disappointment clearly etched on her face. She'd never had a guy that made her wait this long before and it made Brooke very nervous. She wasn't sure if she could keep a guy interested without sex. Or at least that was her mother's estimation of Brooke's potential.

Luke gently kissed her on her forehead and forced himself to remember what sex led to. "I just want to be realistic, Brooke. I'm sure my mom didn't think having sex in high school would mess up her life so much. And I don't want to be responsible for screwing your life up like Dan did my mom's."

Brooke was constantly amazed at how Dan could have such a huge and negative impact on his son's life when he'd never really been around him. It's like the only thing he had from the man were bad memories and a hard life. She looked up at him, lost in thought. "I guess that they had a ton of chemistry back in the day," she mused, knowing that there was more to the story than Luke knew. She'd seen the two together a few times and the sparks were not dead. They were more like embers that were waiting to be stoked. Brooke could only imagine what that image would do to Lucas.

He paused a moment, having never voiced some of these thoughts out loud before. "I guess that nothing good can come out of being created from hate," he said, trying not to sound overly upset. His mere existence had complicated the lives of so many people in Tree Hill. Dan had actively harassed his mother to get an abortion and his mother had lost all her dreams and aspirations just to raise him.

Brooke looked at him in surprise. "I don't think you were created out of hate, Luke. When I see Dan and Karen talking alone, that's not hate. It may be messy and unhappy, but it's not hate. I think you were created in love and all that kind of got lost in the chaos that followed."

His shoulders slumped a bit. "I don't understand how you could love someone that much and then throw her away without a second thought. It's easier for me to think that he used her for sex rather than he loved her and dissed us both despite it."

"I can see them having sex. Hell, Dan's hot enough to have a lot of sex," she commented, ignoring the grossed out look he gave her.

"Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww," he yelled, putting his hands over his ears. "I just can't see my mother ever having sex with the sleazebag." In many ways, Lucas was lucky that he'd lived most of his life without having to see Dan and Karen together. It wasn't a thought that helped him sleep at night.

"My parents never had sex," Brooke confidently said, looking over at him as he pulled away in surprise. "What?"

He smiled down at her. "Were you adopted? Cause your parents had to have sex in order for you to be here." His tone was completely patronizing but his eyes were happier than she'd seen them in a long time.

"No, they never had sex. My theory is that they were running around the bedroom naked one night and accidentally fell on top of each other. That's the only explanation I can come up with to explain my existence, because I've never seen them have a pleasant conversation, so sex is clearly not an option."

Lucas thought about her words and shrugged. "Well, thank god we never have to see either set of parents canoodling together. I think that could be a perfectly good reason for suicide," he commented offhandedly.

Brooke sighed and looked at the clock. "We still have a while before lunch is over. Want to do shots before 4th period?" she hopefully asked, wanting to avoid reality for just a bit longer.

He laughed for a second and then reluctantly pulled her to her feet. It was going to be a rough few months, but he felt better just talking to her. It was like the dysfunction in their life gave them a stronger bond, one that a person from a normal family couldn't understand or appreciate. Despite the Dan issue and the problems with Brooke's family, they'd be okay. Eventually.

* * *

Thanks for reading, as always. Reviews are appreciated and inspiring.


	29. Chapter 29

Well, it took me over three weeks to post a chapter. I can't tell if I'm boring people or if the story is too long. Either way, here's a new chapter. Enjoy! I know that this chapter doesn't have brucas in it, but that didn't seem to thrill people in the last chapter.

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 29

* * *

The crowd milling about the concession stand created more of an uproar than the cheerleaders inside the gym. Shari surveyed the town's basketball hungry population with mild disdain, preferring to tuck herself away behind the counter with the other basketball moms. But it was game night and she was the consummate team mom. The other mothers fluttered about her like the drones attending the queen bee and that's precisely the way Shari liked it. She was the organizer of all the boosters and as such was an important part of the Raven's winning tradition.

It was much like when she was a cheerleader back in high school. And she'd have been the captain of that team too had it not been for that woman. Her gaze moved across the hallway to the merchandise booth. To where Karen Roe stood disinterestedly next to her ex boyfriend and high school Adonis, Dan Scott.

Karen stood awkwardly in front of a backdrop covered with Raven's t-shirts and banners. Dan was attempting to look causal but both of them were less than pleased to be working together. Dan handed a young girl a basketball sticker and muttered, "I can not believe Shari would do this to me."

Smiling at a man who was a regular for breakfast at the Café, Karen's eyes narrowed at the slender blonde standing behind the concession stand. "She's a bitch. She's been out to get me since I beat her out for captain."

Dan rolled his eyes at her. "God that was so high school, Karen. Maybe she's moved on past those days," he suggested, still in shock at the schedule that lay flat on the table in front of them.

"Why else would she schedule us to work every single event for the entire season together?" Karen asked, knowing that Shari's agenda was to make Karen miserable by forcing her into close quarters with the man who abandoned her.

Shari looked over at her long term rival and smirked, enjoying the woman's discomfort. Tina, the mother of one of the seniors, leaned over and noted, "I hear Dan has been seen at her Cafe three times this week alone."

Another mother chipped in. "At least he's back on the dating market. Even the Taj Mahal guy didn't mourn in celibacy for eight years." They all took a moment to appreciate Dan's body, knowing that he was certainly one of the hottest residents in Tree Hill.

Her words curled Shari's lip. "We've been trying to fix Dan up for years, but he's always avoided dating," she said, frowning at the lack of acrimony between Dan and Karen. She was completely convinced that putting the two of them together would cause some entertaining sparks. Now she wasn't quiet sure exactly what kind of sparks they were generating. "Dan's too prominent to date just any girl," she said, giving Karen a pointed look.

"God just look at how she's throwing herself at him," Shari remarked to no one in particular.

Karen sent her a nasty look and turned her attention toward her companion, who was watching the impending cat fight. "What?" she sharply asked, not liking the grin that was on his face.

"Meow...incoming girl fight," he said, making faux claw marks in the air for emphasis. "You two are going to kill each other before district play offs," he predicted, knowing that Shari and Karen and Katherine had been the three most volatile females he'd ever met. So very different from the tranquility of Deb, he mused, before snapping back to reality.

Karen sensed his darkening mood and laughed at his remarks to bring some levity to the situation. She reached out and gently touched his shoulder. "No more fights in the lunch room, Dan. I promise not to bitch slap Shari." His eyes lightened a bit and he returned from whatever melancholic thought he'd been indulging in. So very much like her son, she realized, knowing that Lucas was more like Dan than he'd ever know. Especially since Luke hadn't warmed to the idea of getting to know his father.

The booster herd watched the interaction between Dan and Karen with morbid curiosity. The gossip about the two had always run rampant through the town, but their truce the past few weeks was the biggest news to hit Tree Hill in years. No one was quite sure how to react to the new found peace between the former lovers.

Jennifer, the mother of a sophomore player, handed someone a bag of popcorn before leaning over the counter to watch as Karen touched Dan's shoulder. "Doesn't look like he's going to be lonely for much longer," she speculated, feeding the gossip. They watched as Dan laughed at something Karen said and moved to stand closer to her.

Shari wondered for a moment if she'd made a monumental miscalculation by forcing the two of them to work together. She'd been in charge of scheduling the parents for two years now and she'd used that power to her advantage. Now, seeing them together, it literally turned her stomach. She'd spent four years watching them date and plotting to break them up in high school. Smirking, she realized that even if she'd failed to nab Dan, she'd still ended up with a successful if bland businessman. Karen had just ended up alone and pregnant.

She stared into the gym, watching as Nate and Lucas warmed up, tension radiating off both boys. They'd already been tossed from one game. It wasn't too difficult to image that problems between the sons would affect the parents. "We'll see how long that peace lasts".

Dan handed a set of grandparents a bag with their team shirts in it and turned toward Karen. "Did you bring it?" he hopefully asked in a low tone of voice. He thought they were doing a good job of appearing civil. Normally, Dan didn't give a damn about what the town thought about him, but anything dealing with Karen had to be carefully negotiated. He didn't want to do anything that made her feel uncomfortable.

She nodded at him and picked up the worn photo album from the bag at her feet. "I just need to get this into the car before the game is over. I don't want Lucas to ask why I'm carrying it around," she replied.

Though the weekly dinners had been cordial, she was still waiting for Lucas to relax and start talking to Dan. Karen had to give Dan credit for trying. He showed up the past two weeks willing to talk to Lucas, only to be coolly rebuffed by his son at every juncture.

Dan took the faded album and eagerly opened the old book up. He took in the pictures of Luke's first few years with a mixture of pride and sadness. A lump developed in his throat when he realized that he'd wasted so many precious years, years that he couldn't get back.

Something caught his eye and he stared at one picture with particular interest. "Is that blue blanket the one I gave him?" he curiously asked, noting that it appeared in nearly all the pictures.

Nodding, Karen stared at the pictures, nearly lost in time. He'd grown up so fast she'd barely realized it was happening. And now she had just a few years left before Luke went off to college and left her nest empty. "That blanket ended up being his favorite," she revealed, noting the smile that covered Dan's face at the news. "I had to pry it from his arms the first day of Kindergarten."

He wordlessly nodded, touched that some part of him had been with his son when he wasn't. It had taken Dan months to go see his first born son. And that had been at Deb's constant prodding. He'd stopped at a store on the way to see him, not wanting to show up empty handed on Karen's door step. The soft blue blanket had been a total guess on his part. Dan wasn't really sure what babies liked, having never been around one before.

He'd only spent a couple of hours with Luke that day. He and Karen had gotten into a fight almost as soon as he'd walked through the door. In fact, before Lucas joined the team, the majority of the time Dan had spent with his son was on that single day so many years ago.

Karen watched Dan's face as he moved from page to page of the old photo album. She might have been suspicious at the man's motives a few weeks ago, but the look on his face now confirmed her decision. Dan hungrily digested any and all things regarding Luke's life. It was as if he too realized that in a few years both Lucas and Nate would be off to school, living their lives separate from their parents. There was a sense of desperation, that it was do or die regarding Lucas. Dan either took advantage of the time left or risked losing his son for good.

A loud thump interrupted their contemplations. Brooke leaned against the heavy box she'd just dumped on top of the booth's table for a moment, before looking over to see what they were both staring at. A smile crossed her face when she saw Baby Broody staring up from the pages of an old album. "He was hot even in diapers," she said, her dimples standing out as she smiled at her own joke. Dan jerked his hands back from the book, almost looking guilty for having it in his possession.

Karen understood his discomfort. There was a huge possibility that Brooke would tell Lucas that they'd been looking at the album. It seemed like every little word set her son off these days, she noted. Karen smiled stiffly at Brooke, attempting to relax around the girl. But the sight of her son's girlfriend in her tiny cheerleading uniform didn't make Karen particularly cheery. It just made her more anxious about her son's choice of dating partners.

"What's in the box?" she politely asked, realizing that Dan was too busy staring at the girl to initiate a conversation.

Brooke pushed her hair back and pulled open a box flap. "Blue and white raven's pom poms," she said, pulling out the item and shaking it for emphasis. The sell of items in the booth helped fund the cheer squad's competition costs. Brooke was in charge of picking what items would be sold by the boosters to help that goal. "The fan poms are the best selling item now that the school board banned my "unbridled spirit" thongs," she confided in Karen, who was only vaguely shocked at the girl's fundraising ideas.

Dan finally snapped out of his contemplations and took the box from the table. "How are you doing, Brooke? I've been concerned about you," he softly said, looking the girl over for any suspicious bruises. Nathan was right when he said that it would be hard for Brooke to hide any marks in that uniform. Dan knew he was getting old when he thought cheerleading outfits were too revealing.

Brooke flushed a bit under Karen's steady gaze. The woman had been nothing but polite to her, but Luke's mom lacked the warmth and sincerity she seen the woman show towards Haley. It was obvious to both Luke and Brooke that Karen tolerated her son's girlfriend rather than liked her. Brooke was used to maternal scorn, but part of her was hurt that she'd failed to win over Karen. She shrugged and focused on Mr. Scott who had always been favorably inclined to her.

"I'm fine, as always," she perkily replied, knowing that Dan knew she'd crashed in Nate's room that night. He was pretty cool for a parent, even if Karen was influencing him toward the conventional role of hands on parenting.

Dan nodded at her words, realizing that she wasn't about to talk in front of Karen. He nearly felt sorry for the girl, seeing how Karen was so overprotective of Lucas that no girl would ever be good enough for his son. He gave her a small smile. "If you ever need anything, you can always stop by my office," he said, growing more interested in the truth about the Davis family every day. Nathan was right, something was definitely off with the girl.

Brooke gave him a curt nod, not wanting to pique Karen's curiosity any more than he'd already done. "I'll remember that," she said. Hearing the pep band start up, she moved away from the table. "That's my cue," she said before running off, short skirt bouncing with each step she made toward the gym.

Karen observed Dan watch Brooke as she entered the gym, a look of surprise on her face. "I didn't know you were into jailbait."

He looked over at her in shock. "Oh please, as if I need more teen drama in my life," he said, giving her a smirk. "I'm just concerned about her."

"What's she done now?" Karen asked, knowing that Brooke spent a great deal of time at Dan's house on a good day.

He hesitated a moment. "Does Lucas ever have girls spend the night?" Maybe he was getting old and his attitudes about overnight guests and short cheer skirts were clues.

Karen's eyebrows rose up in surprise. "No. What kind of parent lets a teenage boy sleep with a girl under their roof?"

"Apparently, me," he said, watching her frown grow by the second. Karen was always the uptight uberparent. "The other night I found Brooke in bed with Nathan."

Karen stared at him with a mixture of shock and horror on her face. "In bed 'in bed' or just on top of the bed?" she asked, her worst fears about that girl confirmed.

Dan realized he'd made a huge mistake and tried to correct it. "No, not sleeping together as in sex, just staying the night in his bed," he corrected, realizing it didn't sound much better than his first statement.

She thought about his words for a moment. "When Lucas and Haley were younger, they'd fall asleep watching a movie. But I put an end to that a few years ago."

He nodded at her words. "Exactly. I told Nate that he can't sleep with a girl even if they are just sleeping," he explained, glad to know he wasn't totally off in his parenting skills. "But apparently something really bad happened at Brooke's house and she was so scared she wouldn't leave Nate's bed, even to sleep in the guest room."

"Did she have a fight with her accountant?" Karen asked, not caring if she was being a bitch. It wasn't Brooke's fault that Karen and her mother hated each other.

Dan gave her frustrated look. "I'm serious, Kar. Something's not right with that girl. She's jumpy and coming over at all hours of the night. I just think something's going on since her dad left town."

"I don't really know her well enough to see any problems, but if she's leaving her house to stay at yours, it's a good sign she's having problems with her parents," Karen theorized. Her own family had been fairly unstable growing up, so much so that she'd found the Scott family to be an oasis of sorts, with real parental figures and family routines.

Dan leaned back against the wall, lost in thought. "I don't think it's just fighting. I think someone's hurting her, but I don't know," he said, leaving out his own suspicious about Lucas. But after two weeks of carefully scrutinizing Brooke, Dan had found no suspicious bruises. Maybe he was just being paranoid.

"Has she confided in Nathan?" she asked, knowing that they were as close as Lucas and Haley were. And after having dinner with the girl a few times, Karen surmised she wasn't the type to have a lot of female friends to talk to.

"She's not said anything and I know he's tried. I thought perhaps she'd told Lucas something, seeing how close they've gotten."

His words bothered Karen for some reason. She didn't want Luke's identity wrapped up in with some a girl. Karen had always been one half of Dan and Karen and it had really hurt her when she was forced to stand on her own two feet. She didn't want her son to make the same mistake, of entwining his soul with someone else's at such a young age. She looked at Dan for a second and realized that even if you did survive such a break up, that someone else always kept part of your soul.

He watched her, knowing she was analyzing him as she tended to analyze everything. It was so easy to get lost in the past, he realized. It was nice in the past, safe and warm compared to the stark reality of life. His hand reached out for hers, touching it for a second. "Thanks for bringing in the photo album. And for sharing the blanket story with me. I know the past was hard for you, but I really do want to know more about my son."

She nodded, momentarily teary at the words she'd longed to hear years ago from this man. But the past was gone and all they had was the present. And she had to make things better for her son. The sound of the crowd roared as the tip off signaling the start of the game went up.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her through the now deserted hallway toward the gym. "Come on," he said, pulling her from the past and toward the gym.

* * *

Thanks to the replier who noted that I've not posted in a while. I tend to forget at times. Thanks!


	30. Chapter 30

Thanks for reading. Deep thoughts and diatribes against Karen are always appreciated. Actually, any thoughts that show anyone is still reading would be neat too!!

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 30

* * *

The final buzzer sounded with the Ravens winning by 2 points. Lucas sank down on the bench, having hit the clutch 3 pointer to win the game. Whitey surveyed the team's mini floor celebration with disdain. Granted there had been no fist fights or brawls between his two star players, but the team had lacked unity and spirit, he decided. Even a veteran coach couldn't make a team that hated each other gel. Tim hated Lucas on behalf of Nathan. Jake was over protective of Lucas because of Nathan and Tim's behavior toward his friend. They were all so tense around their team mates that the other team had nearly stolen a game from them. Whitey's gaze drifted to the stands, where Karen and Dan stood watching their sons walked off the gym floor. At least those two had finally found some rational parenting skills, Whitey grumped as he followed his team into the locker room.

Dan looked down at Karen. "That's not a good sign. Someone's in for an ass chewing," he said, an alumni of the Whitey Durham School of post game bitching. Even though he knew both boys were going to catch hell, Dan was still proud of their performances. Nate looked strong on the court and Lucas was showing more skill with every game. If the kids could set aside their differences, they'd both get national recruiting attention during their senior year.

Karen looked confused. "But they didn't fight or even talk to each other," she argued, knowing that Lucas had totally bought into her threats to bar him from the team if he fought Nathan again.

He helped her down the bleachers, steadying her slight form as she maneuvered over the rows of seats in high heels. "It doesn't matter that they weren't openly fighting. They weren't playing as a team either. And that's the biggest sin in Whitey's book," he said, explaining the intricacies of team sports that Karen had never bother to master.

Keith and Anna moved toward the exit, eying his younger brother warily. He'd avoided family introductions with Anna for as long as he could, though. He guided his fiancée toward where Dan and Karen stood mid court on the floor. Karen tensed, instantly knowing who the petit blonde woman was. She wasn't sure why it bothered her so much. She'd been the one to initiate the break up with Keith and he was free to move on just as she was.

Dan waited awkwardly as the couple approached. He had to give Keith credit. His fiancée was certainly soft on the eyes. She was nearly the total opposite of Karen, Dan realized, taking in Anna's blonde hair and conservative air. She was all tweeds and cashmere, not the type of woman that Keith normally took up with. He took a deep breath as Keith and Anna stopped in front of them.

"I guess I can't put this off forever," Keith slowly started, wishing that he'd just eloped with Anna so she didn't have to meet his family. Okay, maybe that was a stupid thought considering that he lived in the same small town with his brother and extended family. "Anna, I'd like you to meet my brother Dan," he said, watching her as she eyed his rather large brother up and down. She stuck out her hand and smiled graciously at him. "I've heard a lot about you," she politely offered. It was nicer than saying she'd heard Keith and Lucas complain about him since the day she'd come to town.

Karen stood there, unsure if she should leave or stay. Realizing that he'd totally ignored her, he directed Anna's attention toward his ex-girlfriend. "And this is Luke's mother, Karen."

Anna smiled at the woman, genuinely happy to be meeting Lucas's much talked about mother. "I'm so pleased to meet you," Anna said, moving to stand next to her. "I think you have the greatest son. He's been so helpful regarding the wedding."

Karen nodded at the blonde woman, wondering if she got all her sweater sets from Talbot's. "He's a great kid," Karen offered, not sure what else she could say. Karen was honestly happy that Keith had found someone to settle down with but she couldn't help but feel sad that she wasn't moving on as well. It amazed her that Keith had found someone special so soon after they broke up. Karen was beginning to think there was something fundamentally wrong with her that repelled every marriageable man in a  
three country radius.

Anna reached out for Keith's hand and continued speaking. "I'm so touched that Lucas has agreed to give me away during the wedding. I was afraid I'd have to walk myself down the aisle when he stepped in," she commented, sincerely touched by her nephew to be's kindness.

Dan noticed the complete surprise on Karen's face and injected himself into the conversation. "We hadn't heard that Lucas was so involved in the wedding," he noted, shocked that Lucas had taken on more than being best man. His son didn't seem to be a fan of public events and his enthusiasm for Keith's wedding surprised him.

"So, less than a week until the wedding," he asked, wondering where all the time had gone. Dan's parents were set to come up in a few days and stay with him and Nate. Things were moving forward at a rapid, if uncertain pace.

She smiled up at Keith, and placed her small hand on his chest for a second, an intimate gesture in such an unintimate place. It struck Dan, such a small touch between engaged people. But he knew in that instance that Keith was serious about this girl. She wasn't just some last ditch attempt to get married and have kids. He was in love with her.

Anna looked over at Karen and Dan and smiled serenely. "We've got everything ready to go for the wedding. I'm too busy with the last minute details to even be worried."

Karen nodded at that thought. She catered enough weddings to know that they were stress inducing affairs. "Are you going on a honeymoon?" she asked, more to be polite than out of curiosity.

"We're going to take a week and go out west once school is out," Keith revealed, happy that he was finally getting this meeting over with. All he had to do was make sure his parents didn't scare Anna away and he'd be set. And that nagging detail of having to deal with the Lucas/grandparent issues. Keith was getting tired of micromanaging his very complicated family. His father had called him two times a day inquiring about "that girl" he was marrying and if Lucas was still going to the wedding. It just saddened him that his parents had never shown so much interest in Lucas before now. And all of that because Dan had finally taken and interest in the boy and sanctioned his family to do the same.

A pall of silence fell over the group. The history of all the adults was so intertwined that it boarded on incestuous. "You're a teacher?" Dan asked, knowing that Keith had said something about her working at Tree Hill Elementary. He was struggling to keep the conversation going.

"I teach fifth grade. I just got my teaching degree a few years ago and when I saw the position available, it looked like a good town to settle down in." She'd never really had a home, as growing up in the foster care system had made her a relative vagabond.

Dan looked for any kind of subterfuge in the girl and realized that she was pretty uncomplicated, much like his brother. While Dan was ambitious and restless, Keith had always just accepted what life threw at him. He'd never been occupied by ambition or growing beyond Tree Hill while his younger brother was obsessed with it. "Is your family going to attend the wedding?" he asked, wondering if there would be any unpleasant surprises in store for them. Other than the fireworks that exploded when his father and son met for the first time, he thought.

Anna smiled sadly at Dan. "I'm sure that Keith's told you I don't have any close relatives. I have invited some of my good friends from school and my entire class. The children are very excited about the entire thing," she said, her eyes sparkling in happiness. She and Keith were pleased to have an informal wedding in the park that everyone could attend.

Dan heard the patient but firm tone in her voice. He'd poked her about her past and was satisfied that she wasn't going to share anymore of it with him. Dan was an aggressive person. He'd never claimed otherwise, but he also knew what people he could push around and what people would push back. Anna might be small and dressed in pearls but she wasn't going to roll over and play dead with him. He decided then and there to stop making inquires into her family.

"I hope you both will be there," she said, looking at her watch. "I need to get going, Keith. I've got homework to grade before tomorrow." Keith smiled down at her and then over at Dan and Karen. "We'll see you all at the wedding."

As they walked off, Dan sighed in relief. Anna was much better than he'd feared. Outside of Karen, Keith had horrible taste in women. He had a tendency to pick needy creatures that had no job and suspect backgrounds. But Dan liked what he'd seen of Anna. Maybe this was the year that things got better for all of the Scott men, he thought, watching as his oldest son walked out of the locker room.

* * *

Lucas headed out of the locker room and hesitated when he saw his mother standing next to Dan. He stood there, physically incapable of walking over to them. He felt an arm snake around his waist and a smile broke out across his face. "Hey there," Peyton said, nuzzling his neck from behind. He immediately tensed up, having expected the warm arm and soft skin to be Brooke's. Lucas immediately stepped away from her, wanting to create as much space between him and the blonde girl as possible.

"Hey Peyton," he replied noncommittally. Lucas had played her games for months and now that he was with Brooke, she decided to get serious. Peyton moved a step forward with each step backward he took.

"Rick Walters is having a private party at his house tonight, if you want to go with me," she asked, running her hand over his chest. Lucas flushed, knowing that Karen and Dan were watching her touch him. He grabbed her hand and removed it from his chest.

"It's a school night, Peyton. I have to go home." Lucas was getting tired of these run ins with her. He just didn't know how to tell her to back off without appearing rude. Sighing, he was just tired of confrontations. It seemed most of his life was nothing but confrontation.

A voice called out behind them. "My, look what desperation dragged in," Brooke called out, seething that her "friend" was making such a blatant play on her man.

Peyton pouted and looked over at Lucas. "I didn't know you had lost the right of free association, Luke." He stood uncomfortably between them, never sure how to handle arguing women.

"I didn't lose any rights, Peyton. I'm dating Brooke now and you shouldn't be asking me out," he said, putting his arm around Brooke's waist. As they walked away, Brooke gave Peyton a withering stare, wondering when their friendship had spiraled into nonexistence.

"I don't know what gets into her," he said. Peyton's behavior had grown increasingly inconsistent over the past few months. He was tired of being played though. And it was more than obvious that he and Brooke were a couple.

They moved toward the gym doors, intent on getting outside when Karen's voice stopped them in their tracks. "Lucas."

He sighed, before turning around to face his mother and Dan. "I know we are all going to end up on Judge Judy some day," he muttered to Brooke, as Dan and Karen approached them.

Karen grabbed Dan's arm and started pulling him toward their son. "Remember, be positive. And don't lecture him about missing those free throws," she quietly instructed. She wasn't going to let Dan put the insane Scott family basketball pressure on her son.

Dan smiled down at her domineering self and laughed. "And you need to be nice to Brooke. Make an effort with her, Kar." Last minute instructions finished, Karen smiled at her son, who'd already put a protective arm around his girlfriend. Lucas wasn't stupid and he knew that his mother wasn't fond of Brooke. It hurt that she mistrusted his judgment especially when she was asking him to trust her judgment regarding Dan.

Lucas could see Dan's shoulder's tense up as he was obviously as uncomfortable around Lucas as Lucas was around him. Why the older man even bothered with these games was beyond Luke's comprehension. He ignored Dan and turned toward his mother. "What do you need?" he asked, keeping his tone civil and respectful.

"We need to get home, since it's a school night. I know you've got a lot of homework and it's getting late," she pointed out, not very happy with all the basketball games played on week nights.

Karen remembered Dan's words and attempted to reach out to Brooke. "The squad looked great tonight, Brooke." She watched as the younger girl's face lit up at the compliment and she shyly said "thanks." Lucas was amazed that only a few weeks of exposure to his mother had such a huge effect on Brooke. Where as she was overly talkative and animated in most situations, Lucas had noted that Brooke recently started being quiet and reserved around his family. It was the same way he reacted when he was around Dan, he realized. The less you said and the less you responded, the faster the unpleasant time went by. It was only through Brooke's similar reaction that he realized they were losing their voice, their innate right to react to the world around them.

Dan stood there uncomfortably for a moment before adding to the struggling conversation. "You've whipped the girls into shape over the summer, Brooke. I'm sure you're going to win a lot of competitions this year." Dan realized that in his basketball dominated world that the cheerleaders were more than decorations. They lived for their own competitions outside of the basketball world.

"Thanks," she replied again, not wanting to embellish the discussion so she could get Broody alone for a few minutes. The problem with game days was that they barely got to spend any time alone together. She just wanted to get him in her car so they could spend a few minutes just holding each other.

"And you played a great game, Lucas," Dan said, knowing his voice seemed particularly high pitched even to his own ears. "The three pointer had great form." He hoped that it was enough of a positive statement to coax some kind of reaction out of the boy, without sounding too coach-y or preachy.

Lucas stared at the ground and muttered "right" in Dan's general direction, refusing to even look at him. He finally looked at his mom, though it was hard seeing her so close to that man. "Brooke's going to drop me off at home, if that's okay with you." He hated asking her for permission to do little things, but anything involving Brooke got Karen's immediate attention.

Dan felt Karen tense up and knew she was going to argue that idea, so he spoke up. "Have a safe drive, Brooke. The roads are getting slick, so be careful," he added, giving de facto consent to her driving him home. Lucas gave him the evil eye for a moment, furious that the man thought he had any say over what Lucas did or didn't do. He looked at Karen, who eventually nodded in consent. "Just be home in 30 minutes. You need to get moving on that homework," she finally said, not very happy with Dan's good cop/ bad cop routine.

Brooke's smile lit up the gym. She never expected Karen to agree to something as simple as her driving Broody home. But it was Dan's influence, she knew. Brooke was too smart to get her hopes up because parents never tended to like her. And Karen was no exception to the rule. "We'll have him home safely in that time," she promised, as she practically dragged Lucas out of the gym, breaking his stare-fest with Dan. Men and their stupid power struggles, absently thought.

Karen watched the couple disappear out the doors, leaving her and Dan alone yet again in the gym. It seemed they spent most the most critical points of their life together alone in the facility. "Did I ever once give you any indication that you were allowed to give my son permission to do things?" she asked, keeping her tone neutral.

Dan shrugged his shoulders at her words. "It was a small thing, Kar. What does it matter if he goes home with you or with Brooke? In return you make an impression with Luke that you are trying to get along with his girlfriend." He'd noticed what kind of reaction a few nice words had gotten from Brooke. Karen really needed to try that approach with her more often.

"And it helps your image with Lucas to look like a good guy who let's him do whatever he wants," she argued, not pleased with him overstepping his boundaries regarding Luke's time. She let his comments about Brooke pass by. She wanted to try to get along with the girl but it wasn't easy letting her son go.

Dan guided her to the door of the gym. The maintenance crew had begun to shut down the lights and he didn't need to feed the town gossip by being alone in a dark gym with his ex-girlfriend. "I'm not trying to score points with Lucas, Karen. But it's been a long day and maybe he just wants to relax with his girlfriend a few minutes before diving into all that homework he's got waiting for him." Dan had watched his son drag that dilapidated back pack around town long enough to know that his oldest son was in some serious classes. He knew that Lucas used homework as an excuse to avoid him at the Cafe while "studying" but Dan also knew that Karen had pushed him into one of the more difficult academic tracks that Tree Hill High offered. If driving home with Brooke helped him come down from his "game high" then Dan was all for it. It was something that Karen could never understand about athletes and a post game adrenaline rush. It was hard to focus on anything during that time let alone school work.

Karen crossed her arms and stood her ground. "Dan, we've discussed this before. You are spending time with Lucas, but you aren't parenting him." Lucas had balked at just having diner with the man, she could only imagine his reaction to having to get Dan's permission to do things.

"I would say I think you are overreacting, but I'm afraid you'd girl hit me," he remarked, waiting for her to slap his shoulder like she'd done so many times in the past. Sensing no attack, he glanced down at her. "I just want to be involved, Kar." And as he'd done so many times in the past weeks, he melted her last line of defenses. She knew when Dan was being sincere and this was one of them. It was hard for her to get mad when she knew Dan was just trying to get a foot hold in his son's life.

"Just watch it next time. I don't want to hear that you think they needed alone time in Jamaica so he's ready for the championships," she commented, watching as his eyebrows rose in amusement.

"No, that would be us. I think by the time the championships roll around, we'll both need a beach and some strong alcohol in us," he commented, ignoring the images of them basking in the sun together. He shook his head, wondering where those thoughts were coming from after all these years.

She actually brightened at his words. "Shots...shots would be good right now," as they walked from the building into the cool night air.

* * *

Keith opened the door to his old Jeep, pausing as he heard footsteps behind him in the now deserted school parking lot. He turned and saw Nathan standing somewhat uncertainly behind him.

"Good game, Nate," he causally said, surprised to see his nephew approach him. The years of tension between Dan and Keith had caused a serious family riff that pulled the kids into a black hole of relations. Keith couldn't say he was close to his nephew and had regretted that for most of his nephew's life.

"Thanks," Nate replied, looking back to where Haley stood, encouraging her boyfriend to continue the conversation.

"Have you met Anna yet?" Keith asked, motioning toward his fiancée who was already seated in the car.

Keith made a brief introduction and watched as Nathan waved politely in her general direction. "Are you going to the wedding on Saturday," he asked, growing more interested in Nate's discomfort than in their actual conversation.

"Haley kind of asked me to go as her date," he said, a smile hovering at his lips and finally making his eyes brighten a bit.

Keith nodded in approval. "That's a great girl, if you want my opinion." Haley had been a favorite of Keith's for years, even as he'd lost hope that she'd ever get together with Lucas. "I'm glad you are going to be there, Nate."

Nathan shifted his weight, clearly uncertain about talking to his uncle. "Um, Haley is the reason I wanted to talk to you," he slow began, looking back at her for support.

Immediately, Keith grew concerned. His conversations with Nate had barely had any kind of substance and now the boy was here, clearly carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. "Are you okay, Nate?"

"I'm fine. It's just that I had some questions about the past and Haley thought you might be able to help me with them," he finally replied, staring at the ground to avoid his uncle's eyes.

Keith's eyes widened in shock. This was unexpected behavior from his normally reserved nephew. "Okay, I can tell what I know, if I know anything about it."

Nate dropped his gym bag and forced himself to look at Keith. "Uh, I kind of had a question to ask, a favor really," he corrected, unsure of how to approach this. "I just had some questions about my mom. Dad doesn't really talk about her and Haley pointed out that you knew her for a while and maybe you could tell me some things about her."

Keith's expression softened for a moment, realizing what his nephew was asking him for. He wanted someone to talk to about his mother, someone that could remember her answer his questions. He'd never thought Dan's lack of communication about Deb was a good thing. But he'd made the family promise not to bring her up, so as not to upset Nathan anymore than her death had already done. That might have been a great way to handle an 8 year old, but Nathan now looked like he was fighting to keep the memory of his mother alive.

"Well, she was my sister in law," he announced, much to Nate's relief. "We weren't as close as we should have been, but I can tell you what I know."

Nate smiled at that. "Anything you could remember would be nice," he added. He wanted to know the little things that his dad was too dense to remember. Things that he might have been to young to recall.

"Why don't you come over to the garage after practice tomorrow and we'll get some pizza and talk?" Keith figured that would give him time to clean up and go out.

A rare smiled crossed his nephew's face. If Keith didn't know better, he'd think the boy was actually happy. "Thanks. I'll definitely be there. Have a good night, Anna," he called over his shoulder as he walked back toward Haley.

Keith slid into the front seat of the Jeep and looked over at his fiancée. "What was that about?" she asked, knowing that his family was all sorts of dysfunctional.

He watched as Dan walked Karen to her car and leaned over and kissed her check. "I think that's the past coming back to haunt us," he replied, before starting the car up and driving off into the night.

* * *

Next up: Brooke goes under cover for a cause  
Dan and Karen sneak off to plot  
a wedding will be held.


	31. Chapter 31

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 31

* * *

Brooke shoved a vase of flowers on the counter at the nurses station and blew a stray piece of hair out of her eyes, pleased that she'd managed to carry the flowers this far without dropping them.

"Brooke!" A rotund nurse called out, smiling at her favorite candy striper. "We've not seen you for a few days."

Brooke smiled sweetly at the lady, not wanting to tell the nurse that she only volunteered because her mother forced her to. Apparently, part of her stupid cotillion was community service. Brooke and the other debs spent one afternoon a week handing out magazines and spreading good cheer to the various wards of Tree Hill Hospital. Brooke hated hospitals. She wasn't sure what she thought about old people, except that the entire floor depressed her to no end. Some of the other girls had gotten the maternity ward, which creeped her out even more. Babies and old people definitely were not her demographics.

"I've had school and cheering the past few days," she replied, keeping her cheer smile firmly fixed to her face. She was, after all, accustomed to faking her way through the adult world. She absently pulled the stupid candy striper jumper, humiliated at being seen in such an ugly outfit. "What are you up to?" she asked, leaning over the counter where Nurse Fitzpatrick sat, watching as her less than nimble fingers danced across the computer keyboard.

The nurse sighed and flexed her hands a moment. "I'm entering records into the new computer system. All the old paper files are getting put online so that doctors can access a patient's past history with the click of a mouse."

Brooke's eyes widened with interest. "So you'll be able to find out any information about any patient that has ever been treated here?" she asked, her heart beating with increased excitement with each passing moment.

Nurse Fitzpatrick smiled up at her. "It's a treasure trove of information." Brooke smiled at her triumphantly, seeing the possibilities in that simple computer. "Well, I need to get these flowers to Mrs. Burns in 317," she said before bouncing off down the hall. This gig at the hospital was certainly more interesting than she thought, frowning as a hacking cough interrupted her glee. She needed some place quiet to plot...

* * *

Ignoring the clatter of the dinner rush, Karen stared at her son in dismay. "I just bought those pants for you last year. How could they be so short?" she asked, walking around her son. His only suit consisted of pants 3 inches too short and a jacket that was so tight he couldn't move his shoulders.

She realized Lucas wasn't paying attention to her, as he was busy staring at the door to the Cafe. Dan hovered there a moment, uncertain about intruding on Karen and their son. He eventually made his way over, smirking at Lucas. "Nice pants, Urkel," he joked, losing the battle to not ridicule the kid's much too short pants. He stopped smirking at the look of anger on his son's face. "It was a joke, Lucas."

His joke having fallen flat, Dan turned toward Karen and shrugged. He was trying to be normal around the boy, but every shared moment between them just made them both more tense and anxious about the other. "I guess that didn't go over well," he said to Karen, knowing full well that Lucas was listening to every word he said.

"What's he doing here? It's not Monday," Lucas asked, trying to minimize his ridiculous outfit. His mom had made him bring his suit over "just in case" he'd grown. And now they were both slightly panicked that he had no suit to wear and a wedding to attend in three days. Karen was not only dreading the wedding, but the damage that the bill from  
a new suit would do to her weekly budget.

"Dan is free to stop by whenever he wants to, Lucas," she reprimanded, shooing him toward the back room in the process. "Go change. This suit isn't going to grow anytime soon." Even if she let the pants out, the jacket was impossibly small for his growing frame.

Giving Dan the evil eye, Lucas headed for the back room and the relative safety of his favorite worn out jeans and hoodie. Dan watched him go, a look of sadness on his face. "I didn't mean to upset him, Kar," he said, his eyes following every move his son made as he walked toward the storeroom of the Café. "I try to be serious, he ignores me. I try humor and he gets offended." Dan was trying but the boy was nearly impossible to deal with.

She motioned him over to the counter and poured him some coffee. "I know you weren't trying to upset him, Dan. He's just super sensitive when it comes to every word you say," she explained, knowing that father and son had a long way to go before they communicated effectively.

She sighed and leaned against the counter for a moment. It wasn't even the dinner rush and her feet were already killing her. And now she had to try to fit in shopping for a new suit. "I just don't know when I'll be able to get to the store to help him buy a new suit."

Dan's coffee cup stopped mid sip. "Could he go by himself?" he hopefully asked.

Karen snorted at his words and motioned toward the storeroom where Lucas was changing. "I think you've seen my fashion plate of a son. The one who refuses to wear anything not made of 100 cotton? If I send him out by himself, god knows what he'll return with."

"I could take him," Dan suggested, shocking Karen with his words. "What? This is suit shopping and god knows I own more than any man in town," he said, gesturing to his grey worsted wool suit jacket. Dan realized he was growing desperate. He wasn't a huge fan of shopping but he realized that Karen had her hands full with work.

She listened to his argument and was crumbling. Haley was off and her other main waitress had called in with a sick child. Karen was completely incapable of making an employee with child care issues come to work. And so she faced the dinner rush with a cook and a new waitress that barely knew how to fill water glasses. Taking an hour off to get Luke a new suit seemed like an impossible task. "Lucas would kill me if I sent him with you," she started, only to be cut off by Dan.

"Karen, he's got to get used to me some day. I can tell you are busy with work and we both know that even if you get a suit tonight, you'll have to wait for alterations to be done. At this point, if he has anything to wear to the wedding, you'll be lucky," he finished, knowing he'd made a good point at last.

Lucas walked up to the counter at that moment and stared at her expectantly. "So what are we going to do about the suit thing?" he asked, pointedly ignoring Dan's existence. His eyes narrowed at his mother's reaction to his words. Something was definitely afoot at the Circle K. "Mom?" he prompted. This wasn't looking good at all, he thought, seeing a wary look in his mom's eyes.

She slowly approached him, knowing that he was going to throw a fit. "I can't take you to get a suit, Lucas. Haley's out and I can't miss the dinner rush," she started, before he cut her off. "Mom, I have to get some kind of suit tonight or I won't have anything to wear to the wedding."

Karen moved closer to where he stood near the end of the counter. "I don't have the time to go with you so Dan is going to take you to get a suit and then bring you back here to help me out."

The words sank into his conscious slowly. He simply was not hearing his mother say those words to him. He looked up at her. "Mom, just give me your credit card and let me get the suit myself," he offered, seeing no reason for Dan Scott inserting himself into this issue.

Karen smiled and patted her son on the head. "I love you Lucas, but your taste in clothing sucks. Dan is good at picking out suits. He'll get you all outfitted for a perfect wedding and you'll be back here in a few hours. "

"No," Lucas firmly said, giving his mother a firm but angry look. "I'm not going anywhere with him and you can't make me." He was being petulant and he knew it but Lucas absolutely refused to be trapped with the man he hated most on earth.

Karen grabbed the order that appeared in the window and quickly delivered it to her customer, silently bemoaning Haley's night off. She came back to the counter to deal with her son as Dan stood uncertainly behind her. This wasn't exactly his idea of a fun outing either, but he was hoping if he could just step into situations where he was needed, that Lucas might relax a few minutes and let his guard down around his father.

She turned to face Lucas. "Well, then you aren't going to the wedding in a suit. I'm stuck here, son. And I can't close down my business for the dinner rush because you won't be mature enough to let Dan help me out." Silence descended over the three, as Lucas refused to open his mouth for fear of what he'd say.

She sighed and shook her head. "Lucas, I'm dead tired, my feet are killing me and I still have three hours of the dinner rush. I'm sorry to ask you to do this, but I don't have the energy to fight with you. It's either Dan or no suit for the wedding." She'd always tried to give Lucas options when he was a child. But as a single mother she'd had some fairly grim options to offer him. He didn't get elaborate birthday parties as a kid nor did he get fancy vacations or Christmas gifts. But he did always have a devoted mother who gave him all her time and love. And that would just have to carry them through this situation.

"That's like having no choice at all," he spat out, furious that Dan was wiggling his way into his life on a daily basis now.

Karen looked up at him sadly. "You're going to find that many of our decisions in life aren't always pleasant, Luke. But there all we have. So, either suck it up and go with Dan or explain to Keith that you couldn't stomach hanging out with his brother long enough to get something to wear to his wedding."

That was low, even for Karen. She was using Luke's love of Keith to get him to go with Dan. But she was truly not going shopping tonight. And Dan was right about the alterations. They would be lucky if they could get anything tailored in the few days they had left.

Lucas silently brushed past her and headed for the door. As he passed Dan, he muttered, "I hate you," and then stood expectantly by the door, waiting for his father to follow. Dan looked at Karen and smiled a moment, before grabbing his keys and following Lucas out to his SUV.

* * *

Brooke waited for a shift change before making her way up to the nurse's desk again. "Hi Sarah!" she called out to the younger nurse behind the desk. The girl looked up and smiled at Brooke. "Brooke! How are things in deb land?" she asked, knowing that the girl wasn't exactly volunteering for her health.

Leaning against the counter, Brooke gave her a conspiratorial eye. "Not as good as things in hospital land. Have you seen Dr. Burch tonight?" she asked, the lilt in her voice automatically gaining the nurse's attention. "Did he say anything about me?" she asked, grasping Brooke's hand in excitement.

Brooke had spent most of the night convincing the cute young intern to ask out the sexy nurse on the 3rd floor. She'd finally wrangled a 8:30 coffee break for them in the cafeteria. "He's going to be waiting downstairs in the cafeteria for you. You need to go now!" Brooke said, fluffing the girl's hair and doing a make up check for her. She couldn't help but want her to land the sexy doctor, knowing that it would mean a nice future for both of the adults.

The nurse's smile faded as she gestured back to the desk. "I can't leave the floor while everyone's in the staff meeting," she explained to Brooke. The candy striper just smiled and pushed her toward the elevator. "It's a ten minute break," Brooke explained to her. "I've answered the phones before and I can tell anyone looking for you that it's that time of the month and you've got female issues." No one, especially doctors or male supervisors EVER got involved with female issue excuses. God knows Brooke had used them since she was old enough to get out of gym class.

As the elevator door closed, Brooke slid behind the computer terminal, intent on her mission. She'd watched the nurse on the other shift enter enough records that she knew what keys to press to retrieve information. At the prompt sign she typed "Lucas Eugene Scott" and waiting for the information to fill the screen.

* * *


	32. Chapter 32

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 32

* * *

Nate tossed the last crust on the now empty pizza box and leaned back against the beat up couch in Keith's office. They'd spent over an hour together and Nate was nearly overwhelmed by the amount of information he'd gleaned from his uncle. "So did my mom like staying at home or did she want to work?" he asked picking up on the last few years of his mom's life. All he knew was that she'd gone back to work once he was in school.

Keith got lost in thought for a moment, wondering how to answer some of these questions. He didn't want to tell Nate things he wasn't sure about, but it was hard to explain her kind nature and optimistic spirit in mere words. "I think she wanted to have a sense of accomplishment," he guessed, knowing that Deb wasn't truly happy being a stay at home mom.

"She moved here when she was very young, Nate. Deb didn't know a single person in town and in some ways, I think she was lonely," Keith said, watching his nephew's response carefully. He didn't want to tell the boy that he'd always suspected that Dan wanted Deb at home and away from any possible chance of running into Karen. His younger brother had always been a control freak and Keith suspected that by keeping Deb home, Dan had hoped to keep the truth of Lucas from his new wife.

Nathan looked up at his earnestly, looking much younger than his years. "Was she happy here?" he asked. He could barely remember most of the mundane day to day aspects of his life with his mother. But he did recall a lot of fights between his parents.

Keith dropped the last crust onto the box and leaned back in his old, squeaky office chair. "I think she loved you more than life, Nate. She loved being your mother and she was so proud of you," he said, underscoring the most important thing about Deb he could remember. "She would be so proud of you."

"Do you think she wanted another baby?" he questioned, guessing from some arguments he'd overheard as a kid that his mom wasn't the driving force behind conceiving Daniel.

Keith considered the question, not sure how to answer the question. He finally looked up and met Nate's eyes. "I think she wanted to have a career and accomplish some things outside of the home. You were already in school and I think she was ready to move on with her life," he stated. "But I do know that she was happy toward the end of her pregnancy. She didn't regret the pregnancy."

Relieved, Nate slowly exhaled. "I was afraid that she died because Dad pushed her into having another baby that she didn't even want." He looked at the wall to avoid his uncle's sympathetic gaze. "I think she'd be alive today if it weren't for dad." There. He'd finally said what he'd secretly feared for most of his life. That his Dad's insistence on another kid had ended up killing his mother.

Keith's throat tightened at the angst in the boy's voice. "Nate, it was an accident. You're mom just had a difficult labor that not even the doctor's predicted. She'd had problems for a few months, but no one thought it was that serious," he explained. "Some pregnancies just aren't meant to be." It was a simplistic explanation, but true.

He wiped a tear away from his check, embarrassed that he had such a lack of control on his emotion. "I just see Dad bullying her about getting pregnant like he rides me about basketball. I didn't want to go through life thinking she was pushed around by him," he finished, feeling better just talking about his mom. He had to know the truth though. "Do you think my mom was just a replacement for Karen?"

The question shocked Keith. He knew that Dan and Karen had a complicated history that had to confuse their children. But he also knew that on some level, they still had feelings for one another.

"I think love is really complicated, Nate. Your Dad dated Karen a longtime," Keith replied, knowing that it was difficult subject for everyone involved to discuss. "But I think he loved your mom in her own way and not as a replacement for Karen."

Nathan shifted his feet, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. "You should see them together during dinner, Keith. They don't look like two people who hate each other," he confided.

"I have to agree with you on that one, Kiddo," Keith admitted. He just hoped that Lucas didn't see what his little brother saw all too clearly. He glanced at the wall on the clock, noting that it was much later than he'd thought.

"You need to get home to your woman," Nate joked, trying to bring some levity into the overly serious room. He stood up and began throwing away the remnants of their dinner. Keith reached out and grabbed his shoulder, stopping him in mid motion. "Nate, I want you to know you can always come and see me if you want to talk about your mom. Or anything else for that matter," he said, wanting to give his nephew the same attention he'd given Lucas over the years.

Smiling, Nate nodded his head. "I'd like that, Keith." He felt a sense of peace that he'd not known in years. It wasn't about remembering his mom's favorite color or if she liked sushi or not. He was happy just knowing that his mother had led a happy, if not perfect life.

* * *

Lucas stood uncomfortably in the threshold of the exclusive men's store, acutely aware he was the only person not in a suit. He'd expected to get dragged to the mall but he'd been shocked when Dan's gas guzzling SUV had stopped in front of the most expensive store in Tree Hill.

Dan put a hand on his shoulder and propelled him through the store, pointedly ignoring the disdainful glances his scruffy looking son was receiving from the staff. Lucas shrugged Dan's hand off his shoulder, still pissed that his mother did this to him. He stared at the floor, intensely uncomfortable both with the store and Dan.

"Mr. Scott," a voice called out, practically jogging to where they stood. "What can we do for you today?" The store manager asked, giving the boy next to him only a parting glance. Mr. Scott was a long standing customer who'd spent a small fortune in the store over the years. He was always a customer that received special attention from the store staff.

Dan smiled at the man and gestured toward the suits that lined the walls around them. "My son needs a suit for a wedding this weekend." He noticed that Lucas frowned at his use of the word 'son', but that didn't stop him. He was determined that he would handle this excursion just like he would if it were Nate and not Lucas with him.

The manager walked around Lucas somewhat disdainfully, taking in the boy's ragged jeans and hoodie. "Did you have anything in mind for him, Mr. Scott?" the man asked, knowing that his favorite customer always had firm ideas about what cuts and fabrics he wanted in his own suits.

Dan took a good look at Lucas, who remained silent and was focused on gnawing on a cuticle. "I'd say any good fabric with a double breasted jacket," he surmised, his words sending staff flying in every direction.

Lucas finally looked up and raised his eyebrows at Dan. "Double breasted?" He wasn't exactly familiar with clothes that had cuts, styles, and fabric swatches.

Dan took a seat in one of the fine leather end chairs they provided for the customers to relax in. "I can't wear double breasted jackets because they make me look too broad across the chest. You, however, are very lean, so a double breasted jacket is both flattering and will make you look less skinny." Dan often wondered if the boy ever ate anything. Lucas rarely touched his food during their Monday night dinners, leaving Dan to worry if he had an eating disorder of some sort. Nobody in the Scott family had that good of a metabolism, though Lucas could have inherited that genetic factor from his mother.

Lucas sank down into one of the other chairs with a frown on his face. He wasn't skinny; he just wasn't built like a tank like Dan. And he certainly didn't give a damn if he had a jacket that made him look like a linebacker. "Whatever," he distractedly replied, not willing to get grounded for bitching at Dan about clothes.

Waving over a staffer, Dan motioned toward the backroom. "I'd like some coffee while I wait. Lucas would you like something?" he congenial asked, knowing that these fittings could take a while.

Giving the older man a look of disgust, he slowly shook his head and focused his attention on the hardwood floor in front of him. 2 hours later, he was slumped even further in the chair, having been poked and prodded and tailored to death. He was finally back in his own clothes as Dan made arrangements to pick up the suit that Friday. The manager had huffed a bit over the short time to get the suit completely altered, but Dan had thrown his weight around until the manager was practically bowing at his feet.

Lucas just wanted to go home. Not even the idea of a really cool suit made spending time with Dan attractive. He paused for a moment, staring at a navy blue jacket near the edge of the suit department. Dan walked up behind him and motioned toward the sales clerk. "Do you have this in his size?" he asked, thinking that the jacket would be a nice addition to the kid's wardrobe. "Go ahead and toss that into the order," he said, overriding Luke's objections.

Lucas realized it was a lost battle. Dan was out to show Lucas that he could order everyone around and spend money at an outrageous rate. He flipped the tag over and about died of shock. "300.00 dollars for a jacket!" he exclaimed out loud, causing Dan to look over his shoulder at the garment.

"Its cashmere," he explained, pleased that Lucas had some kind of latent taste. "It's a great jacket that will last you for years." Lucas moved away from him, trying to create distance between them, which was kind of ironic since he'd spent most of his life trying to get closer to his father.

"You know, first impressions are very important. You could stand to dress a bit better in order to get noticed," Dan suggested in all his used car salesman sleaze. He didn't understand why the boy couldn't find a nice pair of shoes or wear more structured clothes.

Luke's eyes widened at that comment, as it was an open invitation. "You know what I remember about back to school shopping when I was 12?" he causally asked, not waiting for Dan to respond. "I had to get my stuff from Good Will because my mom didn't have enough money to buy me new clothes."

Dan face softened, losing some of his cockiness at his son's words. "That must have been really difficult for you, considering peer pressure these days." He felt badly now, having criticized the boy for dressing the way his mother could afford. And the entire time he'd been across town, buying Nathan every NBA branded piece of clothing ever made. No wonder Lucas had told Dan he hated him earlier that night.

"I don't care what people think about the way I dress. I have better things to do with my time than worry about appearances. Unlike you," he added, letting Dan know that his son thought he was a superficial prick. "So next time you feel the urge to bitch about my clothes, why don't you think about all the years you didn't buy them for me, and then shut up."

Dan's throat constricted as a rare vulnerable expression crossed his face. He could hear the outright hatred in his son's voice and he was beginning to realize that there were some wounds he might not be able to heal. "You're right, son. I should have helped your mother provide the basic necessities for you. But I'm here now, and I'm trying," he argued, wanting Lucas to see that he had good intentions.

Lucas shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes. "You're 16 years too late. I don't care now." It was the simple truth. While he'd needed a father years ago, Lucas just wanted to move on. It had taken too much energy out of his short life thus far.

They stood around a few moments, watching as sales people grabbed the cashmere coat off the rack and covered it in plastic for the trip home.

"Wait until my mother sees the bill you're wracking up," Lucas replied, knowing that Dan was spending more on clothes this little trip than he and Karen normally spent in a year. The suit Dan picked out for Lucas didn't even have a price on it, which told Lucas it was totally out of his mother's price range. Nothing upset Karen more than having to use a charge card for non necessities.

Dan shrugged his son's comments off. He and Karen hadn't really discussed who was paying for what and so he justified the spending as part of the normal upkeep of having a child. "She'll have to wait to get the bill at the end of the month since it's all going on my account." He'd made sure that the suit could be let out as Lucas grew and it was a great investment. "Besides, your mom wants you to look nice for the wedding," he argued, sensing that that was Luke's weak point.

Something on the other side of the small store caught his eye and he pulled Lucas over to a display of shoes. "I'm guessing your dress shoes are too small, as well?" he questioned.

"The good thing about men's dress shoes is that you don't have much of a choice," Dan began, pointing out the various styles available. Lucas had barely participated in the selection of the suit, only picking one after Dan had narrowed down the selection of fabrics and styles to three.

Lucas picked out shoes quickly, leaving Dan standing around staring at the limited athletic shoes that the store stocked. "Oh, wow, they've got the new Jordan's in," he said to Lucas, watching as the boy came over and grinned at the high tech shoe. "Those are definitely sweet," Lucas replied, fully addressing Dan for the first time that night.

Waving a salesperson over, Dan pointed to the shoes. "We'll take two pairs of these, as well." He knew they had his size on file and were already working on getting Luke's dress shoes ready.

Lucas frowned in response. "Those shoes are nearly 200.00 a pair." Dan waved off his protest. "Just admit you want the shoes. I want them too. You'll look great practicing in those, so stop protesting."

"You aren't going to listen to me anyway, right?" he asked, watching as Dan nodded in agreement.

Dan leaned against a floor display, anxious to get moving before his son went ballistic. "I'm buying them, so you can sell them on eBay for all I care." It was settled just like that and they were back at the Café within twenty minutes. Lucas dumped the new shoes at Karen's feet and stormed off toward the kitchen, intent on getting away from Dan.

Karen shoved a piece of hair behind her ear and watched as Dan moved behind the counter and poured them both a cup of coffee. With all the caffeine he'd consumed the past few hours he knew he wasn't going to get any sleep that night. "Should I ask if he got anything to wear or if you two just stomped around a store for two hours?" She relished the small break this presented her, as her feet were aching after a long dinner rush. What ever the reason, business at the Café was definitely growing. Eventually, Karen was going to have to hire more people to help carry the load.

Dan put his cup down and smiled at her in a way that recalled the young man she fell in love with. "We got a suit, a posh jacket and two pairs of shoes." Karen's eyes lit up with surprise.

"That almost sounds like shopping," she concluded, wondering what Dan had done to get him to willingly go along with a pursuit their son normally deemed useless.

He sat down in the chair across from her and pointed to the bags abandoned by the counter. "The shoes are in the bags and the suit and jacket can be picked up Friday morning. He's not very happy with me, but we got the job done."

Karen smiled at him, grateful for his help on this task. "Just make sure I have a copy of the bill so I can pay you back. I meant to send Lucas with some money, but it totally slipped my mind."

"Why don't we just call this one mine, Karen? I've never had the pleasure of getting him back to school clothes or any other kind of outfits, so why not let me cover this one?" he asked, with a kind look in his blue eyes.

Karen watched him for a second and frowned, realizing what her ex had probably done. "Dan Scott, you took him to an expensive store and spent a fortune on him, didn't you?" She'd always been able to read him since they were kids. It was a very Dan thing to do, but she found her heart melting a bit toward him for making sure her son was ready for the wedding.

Dan smiled again. "I got him a nice suit from a nice store that he'll be able to wear for years to a variety of events," he proudly stated, pleased that he'd gotten the boy some functional clothes.

Karen smiled at his tactics. "And we will be going over this bill at some point so that I can pay part of my share," she insisted, only receiving his smirk smile back as a response.

She craned around Dan's large shoulders and watched as Lucas helped himself to some food in the kitchen. Even from that distance she could tell her son was pissed. She looked at Dan. "What are we going to do about Roy and May?" She had avoiding talking about them, but time was running out.

Dan shifted uneasily in his chair. The Café was nearly empty at this point, so they might as well get it over with. "I say he's already mad, so let's go for it. Maybe by the wedding, he'll be too tired from being angry that he'll actually be nice to them."

Lucas walked out into the dining room, carrying a glass of ice water and a plate of food. His vision landed on them, sequestered at a back table and he immediately walked in the other direction.

"Lucas, can you come over here please?" Karen called out, getting a scowl for her effort. Lucas stalked over to where they were, feeding himself from the plate he still carried. "What?" he asked, with just enough civility to avoid getting bitch slapped by his mom.

She pointed to the chair at the table and said, "Sit, please." He hesitantly sat down, dropping his plate with a bang in front of him. Dan watched in fascination, wondering where she got that imperious parental tone. Nathan rarely jumped when Dan told him to do something.

"What is?" he asked, realizing that they were getting ready to drop a giant bomb on him. His shoulders were already defensively hunched, ready for the bad news to take him on like a hockey player desperate to score.

Karen smiled at Dan and then turned toward Lucas. "Son, there are going to be a lot of people in town for the wedding. And some of them really want to meet you," she slowly explained, not wanting her son to choke on his food.

Lucas dropped his fork and looked at her expectantly. They were getting ready to blindside him with a major revelation, he could tell by the way Karen was crafting her words. "Don't play with me, mom. What's going on?" he warily asked, shoving his plate of lasagna away from him in disgust. He pointedly ignored Dan's existence.

She dropped the soothing mom tone and went straight for the kill. "Dan's parents are going to the wedding and they want to meet you." Silence descended over the room. Lucas stared at the plate in front of him, lost in thought. He'd never had a grandparent before. Karen's parents had welcomed him into the world by throwing her out of the house. They had both died when he was a toddler, leaving a void they'd never really filled in the first place. Dan's parents had just ignored him altogether. At least Karen's parents had hated him honestly, he bitterly thought. Dan's parents just stayed out of the picture, never getting involved. He wasn't sure which rejection was worse.

Dan watched uncomfortably as Lucas silently stared off into space. He glanced over at Karen before reaching out and trying to gain Luke's attention. "They would both like to meet you before the wedding, if that's possible," Dan requested. Roy had thought it would be "awkward" to meet Lucas for the first time during the wedding and wanted a brief introduction the day before.

Finally breaking his silence, Lucas looked at his father and said, "Too bad. I don't want to want to meet them." What was it with this family that thought they could treat him like trash for the first 16 years of his life and then expect full participation from him once they decided he was good enough to be 'family'? Karen and Dan both looked shocked at his words so he continued. "None of you have the right to walk into my life and demand things. Not you and sure as hell not some absentee grandparents who had better things to do for the last 16 years." He stood up and pushed away from the table and started to walk away when Karen's voice stopped him.

"Lucas, there are a lot of things that happened in the past that we are trying to fix. They just want to be formally introduced to you. I think you can try to be nice for a few minutes and talk to them." She watched as Lucas slowly turned around, his eyes dangerously dark and stormy.

"Why? It's not like they ever gave me a few minutes," he softly replied, worn out by the entire idea of meeting anymore of Dan's DNA pool. He was just tired of the entire Scott family at this point.

"Lucas, it's not their fault that they were never around. I told them to stay away from you and Karen, so if you are going to be mad at anyone, you should be mad at me," he firmly stated, knowing that his parents didn't deserve any of the boy's hatred about this situation.

Luke turned toward Dan. "Oh trust me, you are number one on my hate list. But they had every chance to call me or get in touch and they didn't do it. I don't need conditional relationships in my life," he stated firmly, not caring if his mother got mad or not. "You can ground me all you want to, but this isn't working. You can't force me to like these people," he said, his voice dripping with anger and resentment.

Karen took a step back, grateful that the Café wasn't full of people. "Lucas, we've talked about forgiveness before. You need to let people make mistakes in life," she started, before being cut off by her son.

"You can forgive them, mom. I'm just apathetic. I'm not asking for anything other than to be left alone. And if you don't like that, then ground me," he said, before walking out the door. Lucas could only take so much of this and he'd put up with Dan with little to no complaint. His mother wasn't being fair to him by forcing him into situations with Dan and his family.

Karen watched her son march off in the direction of their house, sadness in her eyes. He was so affected by the years of abandonment by Dan. She understood that, but she worried that he'd carry that resentment and anger into the later stages of life if he didn't deal with it soon. She didn't want his future children to be affected by unresolved issues with Dan.

"That went well," Dan dryly commented, sad that his parents were going to get smacked around by the boy's misplaced anger. He could take Luke's antagonism, because he totally deserved it for the way he'd treated Karen and his son. But his parents didn't deserve to get beat up over his past decisions.

Karen sat back down, tears welling in her eyes. "This is my fault. I've let my anger toward you infect our son over the past years. He's just so angry about everything lately," she said, knowing that she had to find a way to get that anger out of her son before he blew up. A small part of Karen also wanted absolution for her own past sins. She'd played a large role in keeping Dan away from their son and she knew reconciliation between father and son would grant her some peace, as well.

Dan grabbed her hand and held it in support. "We'll get there, Karen. I'll tell Roy and May that he's a bit upset and they should just introduce themselves after the ceremony. We'll start small and work our way up to the big events," he calmly stated, not sure if he believed his own words. Lucas was such a volatile spirit for someone so quiet. It reminded him of the proverb 'still waters run deep'.

She sniffled in his general direction and nodded. "He just needs time," she said, lacking any conviction at all. Karen just wanted her son to have a family and a father. Despite what Lucas said about Dan, she knew he was fascinated by the man as much as he was repelled. He'd always had a deep curiosity that thought about his other family incessantly as a child. She just needed to find a way to get that curiosity back.

* * *

Lucas trudged up the stairs and walked around the porch to the side door leading to his bedroom. He'd fumed the entire way home, pissed off that his mother was making such ridiculous demands on him regarding his father. These people treated her like crap for the last sixteen years and because Dan said a few apologetic words, Karen was now his best defender.

Hearing a noise, he quickly spun around, the tension in his shoulders lessening as Brooke walked into the dim light of the porch lamp. "Hey Cheery," he said, relieved to see a friend instead of a member of the crazed Scott family.

"Hey Broody," she replied, not at all happy to be there. Lucas noticed her expression and warning bells went off inside his head. Bells that seemed to be ringing on a constant basis.

"You look like a woman with bad news," he replied, taking her by the hand so they could sit on the porch swing. She leaned her head on his shoulder for a moment, taking in the warm scent that she identified with both Lucas and safety. After a few minutes of silence, he looked her in the eye. "My mom will be home in a bit. She's already mad at me, so you need to leave before she gets home." He hated the idea of her leaving but he was probably already grounded again for walking out on his mom earlier that night.

Brooke shook her head, wondering when the hits would stop coming. It was like the world was hell bent on destroying both of them. She pulled a folder from her backpack and handed it to Luke. "I think I found the answers you've been looking for."

* * *

_next?_


	33. Chapter 33

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 33

Luke sat on the porch swing, still staring at the printed documents in front of him. He looked over at Brooke and shook his head in disbelief. "There has to be a mistake, Brooke. This can't be right." He literally felt like someone had just punched him in the stomach.

She gave him a sad smile, hating that she had to be the bearer of bad news. She ached at the look of absolute betrayal that was written on his face. "Look at the signature at the bottom, Lucas. Those documents were scanned into your official hospital file from the night of the accident." She might not be a medical records expert but anyone could see that the consent to operate form was signed by Dan Scott, as was the credit card receipt for his entire hospital bill.

Lucas shook his head in complete shock. "This can't be true. I've asked about that night repeatedly and no one ever mentioned Dan being there," he emphatically stated, his memory slicing and dicing every conversation he'd ever had about the accident. He frowned slightly, remembering something Keith said last week about talking to Dan the night of the accident. But he'd said that was on the cell phone, not that Dan had been at the hospital.

Brooke shrugged her shoulders, pretty sure that the hospital documents told the true story. On the other hand, that meant that the people closest to Lucas were lying. "I think you need to have a long talk with your mom, Lucas, because these documents clearly say that Dan brought you and Keith to the hospital after the wreck and that he signed for you to have surgery."

Disbelief settled in quickly. He couldn't understand why his mom and Keith would lie about something that was ultimately so unimportant. Yes, he hated Dan, but why would they all conspire to lie to him about his father's involvement with the accident? He slumped back against the swing, letting silence descend around them.

"I knew they were lying about something," he suddenly said, drawing Brooke's attention from her own deep thoughts about not wanting to go home to that horrible house. "It just sat in the back of my brain and wouldn't go away." Lucas had given up on ever recovering his memories from that time. There was a good month or so of time that he simply couldn't remember, no matter how hard he tried. But he also knew there was a good reason he couldn't let the night of the accident go. His instincts had always told him there was something more to the story than he knew.

She reached out and held his hand. "What are you going to do now?" she asked, aching for the pain she saw written on his face. Brooke knew what it felt like to have your trust violated and to not feel safe around those you lived with.

"I'm going to sit down and have a long talk with my mother tomorrow," he decided, knowing he was too angry to actually talk to Karen about it now. He was afraid of what he'd say to her while his wounds were still fresh from the argument at the Café. He pulled Brooke closer to where he sat and put his arm around her.

"Can I stay here tonight?" she asked in a small voice, knowing that he was upset and could use her company. The idea of spending the night curled up next to Lucas warmed her like no down comforter could.

He thought about how horrible his day had been and how calm she made him feel. There was no use being alone when it wouldn't take much effort to hide Brooke's presence from his mother. Karen was more than likely not going to speak to him the rest of the night anyway. Lucas pulled her up off the swing and opened the door to his room. "Come on, I've got some tequila left over from last weekend's party," he said, knowing that at least for tonight they'd have a good time.

Karen stood uncertainly next to her car, not sure how to end her conversation with Dan. Things were going so well between the two of them that she was almost hesitant to get in her car and drive home.

Silently observing her deliberation, Dan finally smiled down at her slight form and spoke. "I'd be flattered that you wanted to stay and talk to me longer, but I have a feeling you are using me to avoid going home," he said, a flirtatious smirk lighting up his handsome features. He'd drawn out their conversation, relishing the opportunity to connect with the woman who was such a fundamental part of his early life. Dan was reluctant to leave the warmth of her Café to go back to his dark, empty house.

Sighing, Karen leaned against her old Volvo and considered his words. "You know me too well, Danny," she said, looking up into his eyes. "He's going to be so angry and I'm too tired to deal with his attitude tonight."

"I can't blame him for being upset," Dan admitted, knowing that he was the source of the boy's recent misbehavior. "He's just reacting to me, Karen. I can't help but think all of this is my fault." Dan Scott was not one to feel regret but in that instance, his heart was full of it. Lucas, Deb, Daniel . . . He'd betrayed the trust of those who should have loved him most. And in the end, the only person to blame was himself.

He looked down at her face, beautifully bathed in the diffused light of the streetlamp. "I'll understand if you want to stop the plan." He didn't want to stop trying to be part of his son's life, but he'd respect Karen's decision if she felt that was best. He could be egotistical and ruthless at times, but he didn't have the heart to cause this woman any more distress.

"No, I pushed Lucas too hard tonight. We'll stick with the dinners and go from there," she asserted, knowing that in the end Lucas would have the security of an extended family. It was all she'd ever wanted for her son and it was now seemed possible, if she could just help him work through his anger.

He smiled at her, washing himself in her purity. She'd always had that affect on him, she'd always taken the lesser parts of his personality and made them better, kinder, nicer. Being around her always made him a more optimistic person. "It's going to be okay Karen. I may not win father of the year but I will eventually get him to talk to me. Have you ever known anyone to resist my charms for long?" he teased, encouraged by the playful smile that finally emerged from her.

"Mrs. Stanton," she replied, a matter of fact smirk spread across her face. Her smile grew at his confusion.

"Mrs. Who?" he asked. Dan wasn't one to linger on names of people who drifted in and out of his life.

"Our 8th grade math teacher. I think she went as far as calling you a vile snake in class once," she reminded him. The woman had warned Karen about Dan all those years ago, as she'd seen that he was going to bring her heartache.

He nodded in remembrance. "I haven't thought about that woman in 20 years," Dan recalled, pulling up the memories of an old woman in stretch polyester suits who had it out for him.

"It was a long time ago," she agreed, suddenly feeling the chill of the night creeping around them. She shook the past off and looked at her ex with trepidation. "I have to go home eventually, unless you are giving me your beach house," she joked, tears suddenly springing to her eyes. The beach was one of Luke's favorite places.

Dan saw the anxiety written on her face and moved closer toward her. "It's going to be okay, Kar," he said, impulsively drawing her into a hug. His spontaneous move shocked them both, even as she relaxed into his embrace. He moved his hand against her hair, relishing the feel of her small body next to his, no matter how inappropriate it was. It had been a long time since he'd held a woman and he couldn't prevent the flood of past memories from washing over them.

"It will work out," he repeated, feeling her nod into his chest. He continued holding her, ignoring how much it scared him that he didn't want to let her go.

Brooke giggled as she killed the last of the tequila and accidentally dropped the empty bottle on the hardwood floor of Luke's bedroom. "See, all gone," She said, giggling as Lucas flipped over the edge of the bed to see where the rolling bottle went.

"Oh god," he said, as the room spun in and out of focus. Brooke helped pull him back onto the bed, the empty bottle forgotten as he felt her silky skin move over his. His lips found hers and the spinning room was momentarily blotted out by her searching tongue against his.

She felt a sudden touch, as a hand slid up her shirt and she let out an involuntary shriek. Lucas pulled away and looked at her, feeling the tension in her body despite his drunken state. "Brooke, are you okay?" he asked, concerned filling his slurred words. They'd fooled around before and she'd never reacted that way before. If he'd been sober he might have attributed the reaction to fear.

"I'm fine," she softly said, rolling over on her back. She felt his weight shift as he settled beside her, raised up on one elbow so he could look at her. "I didn't mean to scare you," he offered, confused by her heated passion and cold withdrawal in such a brief moment. His compromised sobriety complicated the situation, as he wasn't sure what was the booze and what was reality.

Brooke took a few steadying breaths and forced her heart to stop pounding… forcing the images of another drunken tryst and roving hands from her mind. She suddenly craved another shot…anything to make the memories go away.

He looked at her doubtfully, realizing that something important had just happened even if he wasn't sober enough to understand it. She reached over and gently kissed him, trying to reassure him. "We need to get some sleep, Broody." His concerned lowered a bit and he pulled up the worn quilt, covering her slight body with it. Their buzz was fleeting, but still enough to deaden the pain. Some nights that's all you could ask for, he reasoned, as they drifted off to sleep.

Thanks for reading.


	34. Chapter 34

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 34

* * *

Karen slammed a tray down on the counter, glad that the breakfast rush was clearing out. She paused a moment behind the counter, trying to work the tension out of her neck, tension that only grown since she'd entered her son's room earlier that morning, intent on doing a load of laundry before work. While Karen had given Lucas the responsibility for doing his own laundry from an early age, she always tried to help him out when she had smaller loads.

Instead of dirty socks, she'd found an empty bottle of tequila resting under his small twin bed. Forcing herself to smile, Karen went through the motions as a customer paid his bill, exchanging forced pleasantries she didn't feel inside. All she currently felt was anger, anger that her son continued to break her rules by drinking alcohol. If he was brazen enough to drink in his bedroom, what was he doing when he went to all those after game basketball parties?

Dan entered the Café and slowly made his way to the counter. Even from a distance he could tell that Karen was pissed off. He could practically sense the anger rolling off her slight shoulders. "I'd ask how your day was going but I think it would be redundant," he casually said, taking his regular spot at the end of the counter. "Normally that kind of anger is directed at me." He'd been on the receiving end of Karen's displeasure more than a few times over the past few decades.

She dropped the dish towel she was using to dry some water glasses and stared at him in exasperation. "I'm going to kill him," she calmly stated, not having to clarify "him".

"What's Luke done now?" he asked, knowing that only their son could upset her like that. He looked at her expectantly, knowing she wouldn't pass up the opportunity to vent. It was a source of comfort to him that she could open up and confide in him. For the first time in a long time, Dan felt like he had someone to talk to.

The bell on the door stopped Karen in mid reply. Keith hesitated in the doorway before slowly making his way up to the counter. He nodded at his brother but his attention remained focused on Karen. "Did Luke do something, Karen?" It was interesting that he could basically count on his younger brother being at Karen's Café every day between the breakfast and lunch rushes. Dan was becoming a regular after not talking to the woman for a decade.

Karen took in Keith's slightly flushed complexion and realized that he'd probably jogged the entire 4 blocks from the garage to the Café. "It's not anything worth running over here," she offered, embarrassed that the man had left his work the day before his wedding because of her errant son.

Keith looked at his brother and ex girlfriend in confusion. "But I got your message to come over here," he clarified, not understanding the look on Karen's face. He had three cars to finish up before he could leave for the rehearsal events and meandering around town wasn't on his agenda for the day.

Dan nodded at his brother's words. "My secretary got a call for me to meet you here, as well," he added, sensing that Karen was now completely confused.

"I didn't call either of you," she explained. They all stood there looking at one another when the door to the Cafe opened, interrupting their thoughts.

Karen immediately frowned, seeing her son in the doorway. "I called you all here," Lucas said, slowly making his way to the assembled group. He was a big believer in saying something once, and this way he didn't have to worry about the adults having to recount the conversation to the others.

"That's interesting considering you should be in school right now." Karen's tone clearly conveyed how unhappy she was with her son. It took everything she had not to grab the purloined tequila bottle from under the counter and beat her son with it.

Lucas walked over to where the adults stood, awkwardly stuffing his hands in his jacket to avoid strangling the omnipresent Dan Scott. "I just had a question about the night of my accident, and figured that the three of you were the ones to give me some answers," he blithely replied, not wanting to show his hand too quickly.

Keith was stunned by the hard edge in Luke's tone. He knew that the boy was upset at work yesterday. Despite Keith's happy chatter about the wedding, Lucas had barely uttered a word the entire afternoon. He knew his nephew well enough to know that something big was on his mind.

Karen and Dan looked down at their son in confusion before glancing at each other with a questioning look. Karen finally spoke. "We'll discuss your punishment for skipping school tonight, Lucas. I hope that your questions are worth being grounded for the next few weeks."

He shrugged off her words. Being grounded was nothing compared to finding out the two adults you trusted most in the world had lied to you. He stood in front of the group, lightly pacing in an attempt to contain his anger. Lucas could feel the edge of the folder in his inner jacket pocket, as if poking him insistently for answers. "You see, I've been having these dreams at night, flashes of events from the accident. And I've tried to piece together what happened that night for months."

Karen's brow creased, knowing that this was not good. She'd hoped that eventually her son would let the accident go and accept that he'd lost a chunk of his memories. "Lucas, you need to stop worrying about that night. The doctors said you might have flashbacks but the harder you try to remember the more stress it creates for you."

Dan shifted uncomfortably in his chair, not wanting to draw any attention to himself. Lucas honed in on that immediately. "But you see, recently I've had new fragments pop up. Fragments that include Dan," he revealed, taking pleasure in the slow kill and the looks of anticipatory fear on their faces.

Dan hesitated before answering; only speaking due to Keith and Karen's prolonged silence. "That's probably just because we've recently started hanging out together and you're projecting that into your flashbacks," Dan hurriedly offered, not positive that there was any sound psychological reason behind his explanation.

"Hanging out together?" Lucas chuckled at the quaint phrasing of their forced dinners together. You hang out with friends. You didn't hang out with dead beat dads that you hated. "I think there's a little bit more to it than association." Lucas glanced over at his uncle for confirmation.

Keith shifted uneasily, avoiding the glare of his nephew's steely gaze. He was uncomfortable with the decision Dan and Karen had made months ago to hide the truth from Lucas and now he was being held accountable for it.

Walking over to where his Uncle stood, Lucas shifted his attention toward his Uncle. "A couple of weeks ago you mentioned something about talking to Dan the night of the accident," he reminded his uncle.

Dan shot Keith an uncertain glance. They'd all agreed to never discuss that night with Lucas. Dan wondered what the hell Keith was doing tying him directly to those events.

"I did call Dan later that night to tell him what happened, Luke. I didn't think he should learn about the accident at the country club," Keith snarked, more a commentary on his brother's absentee parenting than a recounting of events.

Luke's gazed over at the three adults in thoughtful contemplation. "Why would he care?" Lucas asked, ignoring the looks his mother was shooting him. "I mean, he didn't care enough to make sure I had Christmas presents or even heat growing up. So why would you think to call him of all people?"

Dan had the decency to lower his head at his son's words. It would be hard to refute his son's harsh words. He HAD missed every holiday and major event of his son's life. And one night of parental concern wouldn't make up for that, even if it involved CPR and a consent to operate form.

Karen gave her son a sharp look. "What are you implying, Lucas? That your uncle had ulterior motives for calling Dan that that night?" she asked, not at all happy with her son's attitude and tone.

Raising his eyebrows slightly, Luke's words remained enigmatic. "No, I'm not implying that at all. I just wanted to clarify the events of that night so that I can put in the past and move on," he stated, watching closely as the adults around him let out subtle but telling sighs of relief. If Lucas hadn't been so intent on his plan, those sighs might have triggered the anger that lay just beneath the surface. An anger so intense that even a vicious hangover couldn't repress or diminish.

"So, the official story is that the wreck happened, Keith got me to the hospital just in the nick of time and then after surgery I was in a coma for a while before I woke up and you took me home," he recapped, watching as Keith looked away from his penetrating gaze. It was never a good sign if Keith couldn't look you in the eye. He was one of the most honest men that Lucas had ever met and that alone caused a chill to run up his spine.

Karen was losing patience with her son. "Yes, Lucas. Those are the same details that you've always known. I'm not sure what more we can give you," she said, throwing her hands on the counter in exasperation. Keith watched the scene play out with extreme trepidation. Lucas was up to something. The boy was too pragmatic to call all three of his parents into a conference if he just wanted to rehash old information. There was something so cold and perfunctory about his manner that scared Keith. Something that eerily reminded him of his younger brother.

Lucas nodded at her contrived answers, realizing that she'd failed to tell him the truth when he'd given her a final chance to do so. A part of Lucas died at that moment, knowing that his mother was lying to him, that he couldn't trust the only person he'd leaned on for his entire life. It was even worse knowing that his Uncle was complicit too. The sadness he felt was nearly overwhelmed by his anger. Nearly.

He walked over to the counter, pulling a folder out of his inner jacket pocket. He laid the folder on the counter, waiting for a reaction from his parents.

Dan's lightly uttered curse diverted Karen from her impending reprimand. "What are those papers, Dan?" she asked, looking over his shoulder at the typed formal documents. Dan looked up at Lucas, watching in horror as the smirk on the boy's face grew. "You've been checkmated, guys," Lucas softly said, knowing that he'd finally forced them into a corner.

Karen reached around Dan's huge shoulders and grabbed the forms from the hospital off the counter, her frown growing with each passing moment. She looked up from the papers, finally understanding what the forms implied. "Where did you get these?" she asked, with a little more force than she'd intended.

"Where did I get what, Mom? Do you mean the consent for surgery signed by Dan? Or was it the credit card receipt signed by my long lost father?" his tone was a mixture of anger and accusation. "Now, can I finally have the truth about what happened that night? The truth that corresponds to the hospital records?"

Dan could feel Karen's fear, the fear of losing her son and the fear of confronting the anger that emanated from the boy with surprising force. He fought the urge to jump to her defense, knowing that whatever he said would more than likely upset Lucas far more than soothe his pain.

Keith sighed and finally met his nephew's insistent inquiry. "You're right, Lucas. More went on that night than we told you about. But we were concerned about your health. The first week after the accident you were physically and mentally frail. Your memory was in tatters and you could barely move around. We just decided you didn't need more pain than you were already in."

Spinning around to face his uncle, Luke's face clearly showed the confusion he was feeling. "What couldn't you tell me? That he was there that night? Or that he had to pay for my bill because my mom couldn't afford to?" There was a raw angst in his voice that physically affected Dan. He was being assaulted by his past decisions, decisions that had shaped his son's world view.

He started to speak, trying to find some words to console his son, but Karen put her hand on his shoulder to stop him. This was her responsibility; she alone was the person Lucas looked to for the truth. She took a deep breath and slowly began to explain. "The wreck was serious, Lucas. Keith was in and out of consciousness. Dan was driving by and saw who was involved. He was one of the first people on the scene. He called 911 for help, but by that time you'd stopped breathing," she revealed, watching as he mentally tried weighed her words against the sparse medical jargon he'd read on the forms Brooke found in his file.

She gave him a moment and then continued. "Dan gave you CPR, which got you breathing again and then followed the ambulance to the hospital, where he signed the consent to operate forms. He saved your life, Lucas," she softly said, watching the horror grow in her son's eyes. Lucas could handle just about anything that Dan threw at him, but the idea of his father saving his life was nearly too much for him to take. Dan, the father who cursed his mere existence had helped saved his life. His shoulders shook a moment, as he fought for control of his own emotions.

Dan watched his son's violent reaction to hearing the truth about that night. He tried to break the tension in the room by addressing the obvious. "Lucas, I know I've not been there for you in the past, but there was no way I could leave you and my brother on the side of the road. I just wanted to make sure you lived through the night. We didn't tell you because we knew it would just upset you," Dan tried to explain, seeing the boy's shoulders tense with each passing word. "The doctors stressed the importance of keeping you calm and rested. We figured that it would be better to keep my involvement quiet in order to help you recover."

Stunned into silence, Lucas slowly sank into an empty chair at a nearby table. The idea of Dan giving him CPR, of being close enough to touch him literally creeped him out. He stared at the floor, avoiding the concerned stares of the adults that surrounded him. Sighing, Lucas realized that he was now beholden to Dan Scott for his very life. Indebted to the man who'd given him nothing in his short life but taken everything he'd wished for as a kid.

Unable to stand the silent animosity, Karen rushed over to where her disillusioned son sat, and gently touched his arm. "Lucas, we didn't mean to deceive you. But things regarding Dan have always been difficult to deal with," she began, before he shoved off her hand and angrily moved away from her.

"Why has it always been difficult, mom? Because you've been lying about the past? Because you've told me that he's evil and then do a 180 and tell me that he's a good guy?" Lucas accused, still confused by the past few months. A thought suddenly occurred to him. "Oh my god, that's the reason why you don't hate him anymore, isn't it?"

The picture was becoming clearer to him with each growing moment. "Because he got me to the hospital, you're giving him a free pass," he surmised, taking in the silent adults around him. It suddenly made sense to him why his mother had gone from trashing Dan to letting him be a part of her son's life. She felt obligated to him for saving her son's life.

Karen looked uncertainly from Keith to Dan, not sure what to say. "Lucas, I do owe Dan for saving your life. He was just as upset as the rest of us while you were in that coma. But what's worse is that a lot of your pain has been my fault. My anger has kept you from being a part of your other family's life. And I'm trying to right that wrong," she gently explained, desperately trying to reach her son. A slow crawl of fear was taking hold, as she realized the cold distant look he was giving her was the one he'd reserved for his absentee father in the past.

Feeling the anger in the room, Keith finally stepped into the conversation. He was angry that he'd been dragged into this lie and had been vocally against it from the beginning. Now he was left to pick up the pieces and sooth things over between the child and his parents once again. "Lucas, we should have told you the truth. It was a stupid omission that in the end means very little. You are alive and that's all that matters," Keith rationalized.

"No, Uncle Keith. The only thing that matters is trust. And I don't trust any of you anymore. Not after this," Lucas said, before stoically walking out the door and off into the night. A slight gasp left Karen, who was by then crying softly at the sight of her son's retreating figure.

Dan's eye narrowed at his oldest son's parting words. He'd never expected to win Luke's trust but watching the boy shred his mother to pieces angered him beyond words. He walked over to where Karen sat and gently rubbed her back, hoping to offer some comfort to her. "It'll be okay, Kar. He just needs time to calm down," he murmured, wrapping his arm around her shaking shoulders. It would all be okay with time, he reasoned to himself.

* * *

Thanks for the great replies. They always keep me motivated to write the very last chapters of this story! Happy post election week to everyone.


	35. Chapter 35

Yes, another chapter without Brucas. For those of you who've emailed about the lack of Brucas in every chapter, I hate to tell you that it's going to happen. This is a story that focuses on the family dynamic and not just a teen romance. That means there are chapters that don't have Brooke and Lucas together. Those pesky adults tend to show up and get involved in the kids lives.

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 35

The sun shone brightly in the mid morning sky as Royal Scott stood on the sidewalk outside of Karen's Café. Having just arrived in town, he'd dropped May off at Danny's for a much needed rest before heading out to speak with his favorite girl. He hesitated a moment, letting the cool fall breeze wash over him. He was never sure how these little meetings would, though few and far between they'd been over the years.

Hearing the bell on the door ring, Karen looked ready to greet a customer with her trademark warmth. Her smiled faltered a bit as she recognized who was standing in the threshold. "Aren't you dead yet?" She asked, only half joking.

Roy smiled at her, hearing the affection in her otherwise terse words. "People like me never die, Karen. Hell's afraid we'll take over." He moved toward the counter and gave her a light hug. He pulled away and stared at her for a moment. "You still look like a kid," he said, as he slid onto a chair at the counter.

She automatically poured him a cup of black coffee, still knowing his preferences after years of disconnection. "Flattery won't get you any where, Roy." She smiled at the older man, still retaining some for of affection for him after all the strife between her and his family.

He slowly sipped his coffee, savoring the taste even as he tried to nonchalantly assess her mood. "You've done well for yourself," he acknowledged, gesturing around the Café. He'd thought she was crazy when she told him of her plans to open a café to support his grandson. Being a business man himself, Roy knew that 50% of all new restaurants failed in their first year. She was taking a huge risk, forging out on her own, rather than continuing her education and finding a normal job. But now, even Roy had to admit she'd made a success out of her considerable cooking talents. He'd always had the highest respect for the girl and had spent years eating her food. Karen had done an amazing job with the few opportunities she'd been given in life.

Karen put down her coffee cup and leaned toward Roy, a conspiratorial gleam in her eye. "I've done well enough that I should be able to end our agreement a few years early," she revealed, taking great pleasure at the look of shock on his face. Apparently, his sources around town were not correct regarding the woman's financial status. Roy had watched as she and his grandson had struggled to stay financially afloat. It had caused him great concern and even greater fights with Danny. It was hard for Roy to respect a man who let his own child suffer while he himself lived like a minor king.

"I've been saving like crazy the past few years and I should be able to pay back your entire investment in a few months," she proudly informed him. Karen hated that she owed a member of the Scott family anything, let alone a huge chunk of the capital used to finance her Café. Once she had that taken care of, Karen would be able to start saving for her son's college education. He would have the education and future that she'd missed out on.

Roy leaned back in his chair and gazed at her for a moment. "It was a no interest loan, Karen. I hope you haven't neglected my grandson in order to pay me back early."

Her brows wrinkled a moment, recalling all of the times she'd forced Lucas to go without a toy or new shoes. While the loan had been a secret kept from everyone including his wife and son, she'd wanted to get out from under Roy's thumb before he called in her debt to him in the form of visitation with Lucas. "Going without extras is far better than living a life in the obligation of a Scott." Her tone wasn't harsh but clearly conveyed the long, complicated history she shared with the man in front of her.

"Obligations like child support?" Roy challenged, still upset that Karen hadn't forced his son to take responsibility for Lucas. She was one of the few people who'd ever been able to control Danny. Roy had encouraged her to force him to pay child support, but even at 18, Karen had been a stubborn, prideful woman. She wouldn't force Dan to take care of his son and later on, she wouldn't let him get involved even when he'd wanted to.

Karen's shoulders tightened, a symptom of anger that said much more about her than her words. "I've heard this before, Roy. I can't change the past," she offered, knowing that he and May had been collateral damage in her fights with Dan. And they'd lost a grandson due to it.

Roy smiled at her words. "But you can change the present. May and I are pleased that you and Dan are speaking again," he stated, sensing her surprise that he knew the latest gossip in Tree Hill. He'd always put his money on Dan and Karen being together in the end. He'd felt that Deb was nothing more than an unfortunate distraction from his son's true soul mate. There was a mixture of fire and steel in both of these people, one tempering the other, forging a strong relationship of will and chemistry.

He watched as she moved from behind the counter and sank down in the chair next to her. She gently touched his shoulder, as to reinforce her point. "We aren't together, Roy. Too much water has passed under the bridge for that," she concluded, knowing that Dan's parents had always wanted her to marry their son. "But we are trying to be civil toward each other for our sons' sake."

"About time," he grumped, having spent years telling Dan the same thing. His demeanor grew softer. "Danny's not had it easy, Karen. Losing both Deb and Daniel really affected him."

Karen nodded in understanding. "He's told me a little bit about that time," she replied, taking in his shocked expression. "What? So we talk about stuff," she softly said, knowing that it was a solid fact that Dan Scott rarely talked about anything personal.

Roy raised an eyebrow at her defensive ton, as if she was justifying talking to his son. "Dan never discusses that subject with anyone. I'm glad that he's found the perfect person to confide in," he playfully said, knowing a matchmaking project when he saw one. Danny had been a fool to ever let Karen go. And if he and May could somehow use their son's new found interest in Lucas to that end, he was more than willing to exploit it.

Karen pulled back, determined to stop any plot that Roy might be hatching. "It's all about Lucas, Roy."

He smiled at her, glad she finally acknowledged the elephant in the room. "Speaking of my oldest grandson, how is he doing?" Roy had been pained by the lack of relationship with the boy, but Dan had insisted that he and May stay away from the boy, not wanting to get involved with Karen after her custody demands. They'd briefly considered suing Karen for visitation rights, but had concluded that eventually she'd give in and let them see Lucas. Unfortunately, that had taken nearly 16 years to accomplish.

Karen gave him a steady glance. "He's fine. Great grades, slutty girlfriend, obsessed with basketball," she tersely replied, not very pleased that her son was involved with Brooke.

Roy's eyes lit up at her words. "A slutty girl! Well good for him. Every teen age boy needs a girl that friendly."

"Roy! I don't need anyone else encouraging my son's behavior of late," she remarked, still upset with the tension between her and her son. Lucas was nearly mute the past few weeks, only speaking to her when spoken to. The tension was something they were both unaccustomed to and it seemed to grow every day.

"He's been so difficult lately, especially toward Dan. And that girl has him going to parties and getting drunk," she said, emphasizing the last words as if she were a Baptist minister during a Sunday sermon.

Roy laughed at her parental tone, knowing full well that Karen and Dan used to drink at parties back when they were Luke's age. He'd dropped her off at home barely capable of walking more than once.

"Karen, that's how boys are. They drink and fight and carouse," he informed her, as if 16 years of child rearing hadn't taught her that already. "Trust me, I raised 2 boys and that's just the way they act."

Karen shook her head, knowing that this wasn't normal teenage rebellion. "You'll see when you meet him at the wedding. He's surly, sarcastic, rude….he's not the boy I raised." A part of her knew that these changes were serious. And that a lot of his anger was directed at her. But the alcohol issues scarred her. Karen's own youth had been spent avoiding her drunken parents. Her worst fear was that her son would inherit the worst of her parent's traits.

"Surly and sarcastic? Sounds like he's Danny's son for sure," Roy joked, trying to lighten Karen's mood.

She shrugged her shoulders out of frustration, knowing that Roy knew her worst fears about the past. "I was hoping that getting to know his father and brother would be a good thing."

Roy nodded, saddened that he'd let Lucas drift for so long. A close family was the most important thing in life that a person could have. He'd tried to ingrain that into both of his sons, with mixed results. While Keith seemed to inspire loyalty in those around him, Danny tended to alienate them.

"Let Dan help you discipline the boy, Karen. He can provide a stronger sense of control than you can," he offered, failing to see that Dan's hands off discipline style had done nothing for Nathan over the years.

"You aren't seriously suggesting that I need a man to control my son?" she asked, anger coloring her words. She'd managed to discipline her son over the years with little to no trouble. It was only due to Brooke's influence that her control had waned over the past month.

"Not better, Karen, different. It's a man to man thing. I just think getting a bit of a father's involvement might help Lucas settle down," he quickly corrected, knowing he'd pissed her off. "Just for the record, you've done a great job as a single mother. I've always respected you for that."

"Well, you'll get to see it first hand for yourself tomorrow at the wedding," she said, nearly afraid of what her son might do.

He stood up, signaling that he was ready to leave. "I look forward to meeting him. Are you going to go?" he hesitantly asked, knowing the complicated past between her and his oldest son. It couldn't be easy for Karen to watch yet another friend get married.

Karen nodded. "I wasn't going to go, but Keith really wants me to attend," she explained, not wanting to look petty. "And Anna is very nice, so I don't want to offend her for no reason."

"Well, I'm actually off to meet our blushing bride," he noted, still not sure that he approved of this girl or a quickie wedding. Only time would tell if his sons had picked the right women to fall in love with. He turned toward her with a sparkle in his blue eyes. "Have faith, Karen," he cryptically said, before walking out of the Café.

* * *

Music softly filtered across the room as Brooke stared at the gilt full length mirror, assessing the crimson red gown that draped her body. Her brow furled a moment, not sure that it was appropriate for an informal daytime wedding in the park, but not caring when she totally looked so hot in it. The crimson silk had a deep v in front and a high slit on the side, showing off her exceptional figure. She'd pick up the dress last summer in Milan, a trip and shopping spree gratis of her guilty father. Brooke glanced at the envelope on her vanity table, yet another generous check from her father. He and his trophy wife were in the Bahamas, "missing her dearly". Right, as if the man ever gave her a second thought.

She was caught up in her thoughts, missing the sound of footsteps on her black and white marble floor. Brooke jumped when she felt the hand on her bare shoulder.

"Brookie, you look good enough to eat in that dress," Trey suggestively said, his leering reflection staring back at her in the mirror. "You should wear your hair up and borrow your mother's ruby necklace," he suggested, placing a small kiss at the nape of her neck to emphasize his suggestions.

She tensed, feeling his hands slide down her torso, grazing the sides of her breasts before coming to rest at her waist. Fighting for air, she forced herself to remain calm, resisting the urge to futilely scream for help. There was no one to hear her screams or pleas for help, just like there had been no one to help her that night with J.J.

"Stop!" she said, abruptly moving away from the mirror and his roving hands. He stood there in shock, not used to her being so spirited. She avoided his surprised look by busying herself with her cell phone, checking her messages.

"Are you going to an event with that boy?" he asked, hinting that he might have more to tell her mother at dinner than usual. He took her slumped shoulders as an indication that his suspicions were correct. She was defying her mother's orders to stay away from the Scott boy."

"Don't you have a secretary to go harass?" she asked, finding the courage to challenge him a bit more than usual. Something about being around Nathan and Luke gave her a bit more confidence in herself.

He walked up behind her, again violating her personal space. "Aren't you spunky tonight?" he asked, leering yet again at her. He liked them young and feisty. "I'll tell you what. I'll do you a favor and stay silent about your event with the Scott boy," he said, moving up behind her, his hands roving over her bare back. "It can be our little secret," he murmured into her ear, before abruptly turning and leaving her room.

A tear slid down her face, as she collapsed on her bed once she knew he was gone. Her dress was now wrinkled and tear stained, but she didn't care. All she cared about was the fact that she never knew when or how to say "no" when it mattered the most.

* * *

Thoughts? Comments are always appreciated, especially in light of the show totally sucking this season.

Next:

*Weddings and grandparents!


	36. Chapter 36

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 36

* * *

Anna stared at herself in the mirror, pleased with the vision in white that stared back at her. The simple white dress was not quite a gown but still very bridal and girly. She turned toward the young couple that stood behind her in the bridal suite of the Tree Hill Hilton and smiled at them. Anna was happy that she'd found a way to incorporate most of Keith's family into their small ceremony. It felt good to have family around them on such a special day.

She walked over to where Lucas stood next to Brooke and smoothed out his tie. "My, don't you two look nice," she said, using her best teacher voice to soothe her soon to be nephew's nerves. It was obvious that the presence of Keith's parents was weighing heavily on Luke's mind, but he was putting on a brave front of disinterest. Anna didn't want to cause problems within the already troubled Scott Family but she wasn't sure that Karen and Dan were making good decisions regarding their son. Lucas was clearly upset the past few months and didn't appear to have any level of acceptance for his long absent father. But then again, she wasn't a parent and it wasn't her decision to make. All she and Keith could do was to support Lucas and listen to his frequent rants about his father and mother.

"That's a beautiful suit, Lucas. You look very mature in it," she commented, admiring his deep red tie. She gently ignored the boy's grimace at her words, knowing the suit was still a point of contention between Dan and Lucas.

Anna turned her attention toward her nephew's companion. "I love that dress, Brooke." The deep green strapy tea length dress accentuated the girl's lovely features and was so modernly cut that only a girl of Brooke's style could pull it off. Brooke smiled at the kind words, the discarded crimson dress immediately forgotten.

Lucas took in his tie and his girlfriend's last minute wardrobe change. "I thought you were wearing the red dress, Brooke. What happened to it?" he asked, wanting to show interest but was not sure what went on in a girl's closet. He and Anna watched as a frown crossed her pale features, before Brooke folded her arms across her slight body.

"It's no biggie, I just decided that this green dress was more appropriate for a wedding," she said, lying through her teeth. It's not like she could tell them she threw the dress away after her stepfather accosted her in it. There were some secrets you just couldn't share, no matter how hard you tried. A shiver coursed through her body, as Lucas wrapped an arm around her thin shoulders. The moment was interrupted as Dan hesitantly walked through the door of the Bridal suite.

"Anna, Keith finally tracked down your missing bridesmaid," he informed her. "She's stuck in Chicago because of some airline strike."

Anna sighed at the bad news. Yvonne was the only friend who could make it in time for the wedding and her only bridesmaid. "Is there any chance she'll get here today?" Anna asked, still hopeful that she'd have someone to stand up for her at her own wedding.

Dan ignored the nasty look his son was shooting his way and focused on his soon to be sister in law's question. "Not today. She suggested you go ahead with the wedding."  
He watched as his son pulled Brooke closer to him, as if to protect her from the evil that inevitably followed him. Dan was saddened at this reaction, knowing he'd never intentionally hurt either of the teens. He looked up as Luke's voice floated over to him, the sharp tone ever present. "Always the bearer of bad news," he intoned.

Anna graciously moved in between the glaring father and son. "Thank you for bringing me an update, Dan. We'll go ahead with the ceremony as planned." She'd done so many events in her life alone, so she was prepared to get married by herself unless….

She turned toward Brooke with a small bouquet of lilies in her hand. "Would you mind filling in as a bridesmaid, Brooke? I'd hate to see such a pretty dress hidden in the crowd. Besides, that way you and Lucas can be together for the ceremony," she reasoned, seeing the immediate joy radiating from the girl. Anna could tell Brooke didn't receive enough positive attention and the teacher inside her wanted to remedy that.

"Are you serious?" Brooke asked disbelief in her voice. "I've never been a bridesmaid before, except in my mom's last wedding and that doesn't count," she quickly added, a dark look clouding her face. She didn't want to think about what happened to her that night.

Luke looked over at Dan and Anna in concern. Brooke looked distinctly upset about something; it was obvious from the look on her face. "Are you sure? I don't want to impose. I just want you to feel a part of the wedding," Anna said, gently touching the girl's shoulder.

Brooke smiled at the blonde woman. "It's sweet of you to think of me and I'm happy to stand up for you," she said, lifting the gloom of the small suite a bit. Brooke just needed to keep moving, keep her thoughts going to avoid getting lost in the black pit of emotions that threatened to consume her.

* * *

Dan waited out in the hallway of the hotel suite, considering his words carefully. He'd played this situation over and over in his head, trying to figure out the best way to carry out his plan. He stood up straight as Lucas exited the suite and moved down the hall. "Lucas," he called out, jogging slightly to catch up with the boy who showed no signs of slowing down.

Dan grabbed his son's arm and pulled him into the alcove off the hallway that hid the ice and coke machines. Lucas yanked his arm free of the older man. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" he angrily responded, taking backward steps until the coke machine prevented further withdrawal. It had scarcely been a day since Lucas had found out that Dan had saved his life in the accident, a fact that Lucas was very much uncomfortable with.

Lucas and Dan stared at one another awkwardly, as if the walls between them could somehow be morphed into a warm and loving home. Dan reached out, hesitantly and touched his son's arm, the gesture tender and so very cautious.

"Don't touch me," Lucas warned, venom dripping from his words. There were so very few things he could control regarding Dan but Luke could control who did and didn't touch him.

Dan was taken a back by the boy's vitriolic movements and words. He was used to hostility emanating from his son but he seemed particularly on edge today. "Lucas, I just wanted to introduce you to my parents," he slowly began before Lucas cut him off.

"I don't have time for this crap," Luke retorted, having hidden during most of the pre wedding events to avoid such a meeting. He didn't want to meet the people responsible for creating Dan.

Dan once again reached out to his oldest son. "But it would just take a minute and they really want to meet you before the ceremony," he explained, motioning toward the older couple standing down the long hallway, outside the bridal suite with Karen. Dan was apprehensive about this meeting. His son was belligerent and snarky at the best of times, today looked like a recipe for disaster on a grand scale. He wasn't worried about his father: Roy was just as stubborn and thick skulled as his son was. But Dan worried about his mother. May just wanted her family together and harmonious.

Staring down the hall, Lucas curiously took in the older couple that lingered outside the bridal suite with his mother. They looked normal enough, if a bit over dressed for an afternoon wedding in the park. Ignoring Dan, he watched as his mother casually conversed with the older couple, appearing completely at ease with them. Lucas frowned a bit, wondering how his mother could continue to be so calm around people who had caused her so much pain in her short life.

Looking back at his errant father, Lucas shrugged his shoulders, just like his so called grandparents had shrugged him off at his birth. He didn't feel like being coerced into another family relationship. He'd been forced to do so many things lately that it was driving him crazy.

Lucas was spared from yelling at Dan by a near frantic Keith, who appeared from the elevator they stood near. "Lucas, I've been looking all over for you. We need to get over to the park for the ceremony," Keith said, initially oblivious to the tension between his brother and nephew. After a few terse moments of silence, he gazed warily at the two men, silently warning them not to screw up his wedding day.

"Okay, it's my wedding day and I can't handle any hissy fits or brawls," Keith slowly said, making sure each word was enunciated slowly to his dense relatives.

Lucas immediately looked guilty. He was ruining his uncle's big day with his constant fighting with Dan. "I'm sorry Keith. Let's get going before I hit him," Lucas muttered, taking off before either man could stop him.

Keith gave Dan a sad, yet scathing look. "You can't force him to like you, Danny," he slowly explained to his younger, impatient brother. Dan had lived his life pushing the envelope and firmly believing that there was nothing he couldn't accomplish via will power. It was sad that he'd failed to realize Lucas had the same stubborn streak and wouldn't be steamrolled by anyone, especially Dan. "Give it time and don't pressure him or you'll run the risk of losing him forever."

Dan watched as Keith walked away, joining his oldest boy at the doors to the elevator. "That's time I just don't have, Keith," Dan softly said to himself, before walking off to join his parents and Karen at the other end of the hotel corridor.

* * *

Thanks for reading and replying. Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate. If there is interest, I can post another chapter during the holidays.

Next up: Nate bears witness to something interesting, and a wedding actually takes place.


	37. Chapter 37

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 37:  
Of Fragments and Anvils

* * *

Karen smiled at the squealing children that circled the tables of food, searching for treats after being forced to stand still during the ceremony. Anna's entire class had been invited to the wedding and as a testament to her popularity as a teacher; the entire group had shown up for the little wedding in the park. Karen's smile grew, watching the happy, smiling faces weaving in and among the more sedate adults. While the wedding had been touching, part of Karen mourned the loss of such a future for herself. She wanted to be completely happy for Keith and Anna, but it was hard to put away the instinctive jealousy that surfaced during the wedding. She'd relied on Keith for most of her life and now she felt that somewhere, a door was closing on her past.

Her smiled faltered, the happy children forgotten in her moment of retrospect. She was truly happy for Keith and Anna, but it would take time for her to truly put aside the dreams she'd created of a happy family shared with her life long best friend. Karen knew what she felt for Keith was more gratefulness rather than passionate love, but she'd given herself to the latter before and gotten burned. In that moment, she envied Anna for having such a stable, nice guy like Keith. Karen wondered if part of her was defective. She'd always had a thing for bad boys with attitudes. Boys like Dan.

Dan stood in the shadow of a large oak tree, watching as Karen stared at the herd of kids with hungry eyes. He relaxed for a moment, enjoying the contemplative aura that surrounded her. The wedding reception was gearing up, and while Dan wasn't a fan of park causal, he'd wanted to participate as much as possible. He'd spent too many years insulting his big brother and now was the time that Dan could support Keith and his strange taste in parties. His attention wandered away from the party and honed in on studying his ex-girlfriend. Dan's forehead wrinkled in consternation at that term. Girlfriend…it was strange to give the mother of his son such a childish status. That sounded so high schoolish, even though that's exactly what they had been, child hood sweethearts. It was hard for Dan to see such an important relationship reduced to such insignificance. There was a time in his life when Karen was his world, his morale compass against his own destructive tendencies. He'd loved Deb. Of that he was certain. However, there was a tie to Karen, a sense of understanding and shared experience that he'd never had with his wife. Though the years had passed with little to no interaction with Karen, Dan still felt that connection with her. He knew that despite his boorish behavior she was the one person who truly understood him. Dan stared down at his dress shoes a moment, overwhelmed by her innate kindness, of her willingness to give him a chance to get to know their son.

Karen watched from a distance as Anna and Keith cut the wedding cake, the sounds of giggling kids anxious for a piece drowning out the sounds of the busy park. She stared at the children once again. Karen missed the happy excitement generated by kids and deeply regretted only having one child to experience that happiness with. Not that her child had ever shown that much unrestrained joy. Lucas had always been a reserved child, holding his emotions close to his chest, as if afraid that revealing them would lead to rejection. Her heart ached for Lucas as she watched the children line up for cake.

"They look happy," Dan said, noticing that Karen jumped at his words. She'd thought she was far enough away from the guests to avoid detection. She smiled over at the kids. "Did we ever look that happy?" she asked, truly wondering if they'd ever led carefree lives. Lives without recriminations and hateful words.

Dan considered her words for a moment. "I think we were happy for a long time, but then life started piling up on us faster than we could handle it," he replied. "I think I missed most of these times with Nathan," he revealed, knowing that he'd spent too much time away from his son during his formative years. He frowned, realizing that while he'd spent most of Nate's childhood building his business, he'd missed most of Luke's life completely.

Nodding in agreement, Karen understood his regret. "I worked too much when Lucas was little. I don't think he had a chance to be a child very often," she noted, remembering carrying him around the Café as she waited on customers. She suddenly looked up at Dan, a questioning gaze on her face. "If you had to do it all over again, would you do it differently? Would you change the way you raised Nate?" She'd have definitely found a better way with Lucas. A way to raise him so that he'd not have carried the weight of the world on his slight shoulders.

Dan thought about her words a moment, considering all the massive mistakes he'd made over the years. "I'd have been around more, taking him to school and doing more than just being a live in basketball coach," he deftly replied, knowing that the Scott family basketball obsession had been forced onto his sons. He stared down at her diminutive form. "Would you do it again? After all the mistakes and drama?" He was genuinely interested to see if she could go through the trials and tribulations associated with child rearing at this late age in life.

Karen laughed at his question. "I don't think I have to worry about babies at this stage of my life," she glibly replied. Dan scoffed at her words. "Why not? You're very young. You could have some more kids if you wanted them."

Her face turned slightly red at his suggestion. "I think I'd need more than just the desire to have another kid," she pointed out. "I'd need someone in my life that was actually worth dating. And that's been lacking lately," she confessed, a bit shocked that she was having this conversation with Dan Scott of all people.

Sensing a moment of shared vulnerability between her lack of dates and the death of his wife, Dan slowly pulled her toward him, giving her a gentle hug. "It'll all work out in the end, Kar." Dan said, nestling her in his strong arms as his hand moved to stroke the hair at the nape of her neck. Karen sighed, feeling slightly better during this trying day. She might not have her version of Keith, but at least she had a friend to commiserate with.

* * *

Standing off at a distance, Brooke Davis glared down at the two entwined figures that stood below her in on the secluded side of the park. She watched as Dan wrapped his arms around Karen, giving her support and something else. Something that went way beyond sharing parental experiences. She heard someone move up behind her, and turned to see Nate, staring down at the adults with a mixture of horrible fascination and anger.

"Maybe she has a crick in her back and he's trying to crack it for her," Nate suggested, completely at a loss for what they were seeing. If he hadn't have known Dan better, he'd have sworn there was something . . . gentle about the way he held Karen. It was completely foreign for Nate to see his father in this light, in a way he rarely saw his parents together.

Brooke scoffed at his lame suggestion. "Or maybe there's a reason that Karen has suddenly found redemption for Dan. Perhaps a reason that has nothing to do with giving Luke his long lost father," she speculated, watching as the couple remained intertwined, seeking comfort in a relatively isolated part of the park. Brooke had been seeking her own solace and a quiet place to sneak a few sips of booze from her silver flask. She was shocked at the sight before her, of two adults obviously involved in a complicated relationship.

"This isn't going anywhere good, is it?" Nathan asked his long time friend, knowing that they had just turned a corner on something huge. Brooke took a swig from the flask and held it up toward her friend. "It's going to be a strange year," she commented as Nathan took one last look at his father, before upending the flask.

* * *

Lucas stretched his long legs out, taking up most of the last row of delicate white chairs. He wasn't sure who invented wedding chairs, as he'd started calling the furniture, but whoever it was had a twisted sense of comfort. The chairs were made out of small planks of wood that inevitably dug into the wrong part of your body, while being barely wide enough to hold a beefy child. Lucas sat idly by, watching as the catering staff dismantled row after row of the miserably little chairs. All in all, he'd found the most deserted place in the entire wedding celebration. He felt two arms slide around his neck; the scent of Brooke was unmistakable. "Hey there, Broody, where have you been?" she said, the scent of vodka now overpowering her perfume.

He led her around to sit on one of the miserable chairs, staring her in the eye. "Where did you get the booze and why wasn't I invited?" he asked, not so jokingly. Brooke sneaked a look around, before sliding her boyfriend the almost empty flask. He emptied the flask in a few swigs, and the two leaned back to enjoy what little time they had left. The rows of chairs were disappearing rapidly, much like the stability of his life, Lucas thought, not missing the irony. Kind of like the things in his life that he could count on being neatly taken down and folded away.

A sound behind them caught their attention, giving Brooke a moment to slip the flask into her small beaded bag. Lucas hesitated a moment, seeing his father leading an older couple over to him. Brooke grabbed his hand in support, knowing that all hell was about to break out. Dan moved toward his oldest son with a gleam in his toothy smile. He looked like a salesman during a clearance bonanza.

"Lucas," Dan's voice boomed out across the park. Dan practically bounced as the older couple stopped in front of Lucas, expectation clearly written in their eyes. "I want you to meet my parents, Roy and May," Dan introduced, carefully watching his son for any sign of explosion that might be building. Dan didn't want this moment to happen but he knew when he was fighting a losing battle. And he always seemed to lose when his father was involved.

An uncomfortable silence descended on the group, as no one seemed sure what to say or do. Roy stepped over to where Lucas stood, grabbing the boy's hand and soundly whacking him on the back. "Son, I'm so glad I finally get to the chance to meet you," he said, adding an extra back whack. Lucas took a deep breath and turned toward the massing group, ready for this confrontation.

* * *

Happy holidays in case I don't update until the new year!

* * *


	38. Chapter 38

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 38

* * *

A small crowd formed around Lucas and Roy, some intent on keeping the peace, others intent on protecting their loved ones. Keith stepped in between his father and nephew, determined to avoid a brawl on his wedding day. "Dad, take it easy. It's been a long day and everyone needs to calm down. There's nothing to say right now that can't be said tomorrow." Keith put a kind but firm hand on his father's shoulder, backing up his words with action.

Roy stared past his son, taking in his fair haired grandson, determined not to let him get away, to slip through his fingers yet again. He could hear his wife's soft sighs, a sign he knew meant that she was anxious to be meeting her grandson. And Roy was determined to give his wife what she wanted most on this earth, the elusive grandson Lucas. May feared that they'd both leave this earth without either of them knowing the boy. Roy had many faults but he loved his wife and wanted to make her happy. And giving her that grandson was the best way to make his wife happy.

"Keith, we aren't trying to cause a ruckus, but he's been avoiding us all day," the older man complained, completely aware that Lucas was purposely avoiding them. They'd waited patiently for years, knowing that eventually Dan would do the right thing and start being a father to the boy. And now things seemed to be moving in that direction. It wasn't in Roy's nature to sit around and wait for things to come to him. He needed to push things along.

A derisive snort from Lucas drew all their attention back to him. "You've avoided me my entire life, why shouldn't I do the same now?" he asked, angry that no one saw the hypocrisy here.

"Luke," Karen warned, her voice carrying a gentle reprimand. She'd always taught him to be polite around adults. Screaming at your grandparents in the middle of a wedding reception was not something she was going to allow her son to do.

Dan stood silently to the side of Roy and Lucas, not really engaged with the impending fight. He uncharacteristically stared at the ground, knowing that both Lucas and Roy could be impossible to talk to. Not that he was any easier to deal with in an argument, but Dan knew he was just the agent to pour gas on this volatile situation. He knew that he'd created the nexus of these events. He'd created this mess and yet felt powerless to stop it. In other words, he took the coward's way out. Having no idea what to say, he continued to stare at the ground, hoping the situation just went away.

Brooke walked up behind Lucas, gently placing her hand on his shoulder, hoping she could distract Lucas long enough to get him out of attack dog mode. Lucas shrugged off her small hand, ready and more than willing to argue with these people. "No, I am not going to shut up, Mom." He gestured dismissively toward Dan, Roy and May. "These people treated us like crap for years and now they want something from me? Why should I care?" He felt like a skipping CD, repeating old wounds and complaints over and over.

Silence descended over the group, as Luke's words hung over them with a pall. Finally, May moved from behind her husband, moving toward her antsy, petulant grandson. She reached up and gently touched her only look a like offspring, not wanting to scare him away again. "We've always cared, Lucas, but it's been a complicated situation. We just want to get to know you." She luxuriated in touching his cheek, of finally being this close to Lucas.

Her words were kind and soothing, totally in the mode Lucas had always associated with grandmother types. Part of him wanted to let go of his anger and hug the woman in front of him. He wanted to hold her hand and go bake cookies with her. But those feelings paled in comparison to all the times he didn't have a grandparent on grandparent's day at school. Or all the times he'd worried about Karen dying and leaving him alone in the world. There was such a sense of loss surrounding the fact that he had no grandparent on either side to provide a generational security blanket.

He looked at the older woman a moment before responding. "I wanted to get know you, too," Lucas slowly replied, taking in the happy look on May's face. "But then I turned 5 and realized that none of you people were worth my time," he said, giving them all a nasty look. Luke let the words soak in a moment, before he turned and stalked away from both the wedding reception and his messed up family.

The smile on May's face faltered before crumbling into abject sadness. Roy wrapped an arm around her frail shoulders. He watched Lucas stomp off across the park, desperately wanting to strangle the boy. He could put up with a lot of crap, but no one intentionally upset his wife.

Brooke watched as Dan shot Karen a look that screamed "I told you so". She moved toward the edge of the park, looking back at Anna and Keith apologetically. "He tried so hard to avoid them," she said to no one in particular, just trying to do some damage control. "He knew this would happen and he didn't want to ruin your wedding." She walked off as fast as her 3 inch heels would allow, knowing that her Broody needed her support now more than ever.

Keith attempted to distract the crowd. "There's plenty of champagne left, folks." Anna moved next to May, hoping to distract her new mother in law. She ushered her over to the cake looking back regretfully where Dan, Karen and Roy were left standing.

"Karen, you need to let me have that boy for a month," Roy seethed. "I'll teach him some respect."

"Dad, let it go. He's upset because you ambushed him," Dan retorted knowing that this situation was a nightmare. He didn't want to hear his father giving child rearing advice to Karen, who'd managed to raise Lucas alone for 16 years without any input or help from the Scott family.

Karen shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. She'd not expected things to go well with Roy and Lucas, but she was at a loss for what to do about her son being mean to his grandmother.

Watching her for a moment, Dan slowly took her away from the crowd. Karen wordlessly followed, happy that someone had a clue as what to do.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cheers, if anyone is still reading!


	39. Chapter 39

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 39

* * *

Lucas stood in silence, listening to the calming water of the Tree Hill Park Fountain. It had been presented to the town eons ago in memorial to the town veterans. An ironic smile formed on his face. That's what he was…a veteran. There could be no world war as personally devastating as the Scott Family civil war.

Hearing a noise behind him, Lucas attempted to hide the now empty champagne bottle under his rumpled Dan suit jacket. He visibly sighed as Brooke stepped out into the glare of the street light near the fountain.

"Hey, Broody," she casually commented, noting the trace of tears on his face and the stiffness of his posture. "Looks like the bubbly didn't do much for you," she said, moving in closer so that she could rub the tension out of his shoulders.

He relaxed under her massaging hands, attempting to let go of the anger that manifested itself in his soul. "I needed something stronger than champagne but you drank the entire flask," he said, his tone full of reprisal.

"Nate helped me," she cheerfully pointed out, fully expecting the nasty look he gave her. He hated that Brooke's best friend was his worst enemy. "I could try to score another bottle of that," she helpfully offered, always leery of his bad moods. She could tell by his posture and broody expression that it was going to be a long night.

Shaking his head, Lucas dejectedly sat on the edge of the fountain, head in hands as he contemplated the cracks in the cement surrounding the monument. Cracks which mimicked the ways his family was fracturing and splitting apart, disrupting the surface of his life.

"I can't risk anymore booze, Brooke. My mom's already signed me up for those alcohol awareness classes at the hospital," he explained. He knew he consumed any more champagne, that he'd run the risk of being tipsy when he finally found his way home. And the way Karen was staring at him during the fight with Roy ensured that he'd face another lecture when he got home. "If she catches me drinking again, she'll probably ship me off to a boot camp." He was saddened at the loss of trust they used to share. Lucas didn't think a bit of alcohol was bad when your life was as screwed up as his. It helped him relax and he desperately needed something to take away the tension that was constantly threatening to overwhelm him.

Brooke's cute nose crinkled up at his words. "She's got a major bug up her ass about me and the booze," Brooke solemnly commented. It was nothing new; most parents disapproved of her in one way or another. Nate was one of the few friends she had whose parent didn't fear the influence she had over their child.

Lucas looked up at her, not surprised that Brooke had picked up on his mother's antagonism toward the perky girl. "She'll get over it. Mom's just afraid you're corrupting me," he explained, not really having any words to soothe the pain for his girlfriend.

Brooke hiked up the side of her dress, straddling his legs as she lowered herself onto Lucas. "I'm very good at some types of corruption," she teased, placing small kisses around his face. There were in a secluded part of the park, but were still publicly located.

Her lips finally found his, delighting in their softness as compared to the scruffy goatee that rubbed her chin enticingly. She slid her tongue into his warm mouth, grinding her hips slightly into his with each passing second. Lucas groaned into her mouth, knowing that he was minutes away from disaster from her impromptu lap dance. She abruptly pulled away, grabbing his hand and pulling him up from the concrete fountain.

"Let's go back to my place and I'll give you a nice, very long private show,"  
she sensually whispered, causing all the right reactions in the boy. He followed her, watching in delight as her curvy body preceded him away from the fountain. A noise to his right drew his attention, and he watched as Haley and Nathan walked by, clearly in the middle of their own romantic walk. Luke gave Nate a polite nod and Haley an actual smile, before he ran off to catch up with his muse.

* * *

Nathan watched as Brooke skipped out of the park, followed by his obviously horny older brother. He fought the urge to make a derogatory remark, knowing that it wouldn't be welcomed by his companion. He looked down at Haley and smiled, something about just being with her made him happy.

"I know what you're thinking," she said, snapping him out of his thoughts. She smiled up at him, taking in how handsome he looked in his suit. She wasn't sure if they were dating or not, but she couldn't help but think girls like her didn't land guys like Nathan Scott.

He paused at the fountain, taking in her words. "What am I thinking?" he challenged, wondering just how well Haley James knew him.

"You're thinking nasty Lucas thoughts, but you're staying quiet so I won't get mad," she conjectured, knowing she was correct by the way his eyes crinkled up at her observations.

He held his hands up in mock surrender. "Okay, so you know me pretty well," he admitted. They'd gone to a few movies and he thought things were moving pretty well, if not slow. Normally, girls threw themselves at his feet and he didn't have to worry about being nice or calling them in order to get a date. But Haley was different. She was smart and sweet and kind, all the things that Nate wasn't sure he deserved.

She moved her skirt carefully, sitting properly on the edge of the fountain. She knew she couldn't compete with Brooke Davis, but she thought she'd looked great for the wedding. It wasn't often that Haley sang in public, but she'd walk across hot coals for Keith.

"I thought you sang really pretty tonight," he lamely offered, knowing that he didn't have the articulate words that his brother had. "I didn't know you sang." He didn't know a lot about her but he found that he wanted to know more. That was a marked difference from how he'd been with Peyton. Haley was really the only girl he'd ever wanted to just talk to, outside of Brooke.

She blushed at his words, taking in how sweet Nathan could be when he wanted to. She found his uncertainty with her both charming and strange. After all, he was so confident in everything he did. It was kind of nice that he wasn't the swaggering ego that her presented most of the time at school.

"I don't usually sing for people," she said, then tried to clarify. "I'm more of a shower kind of singer."

He nodded at her words, casually picking up her hand in the process. They sat there for a few minutes, a comfortable silence accompanied by the gentle sounds of the water flowing from the fountain. "It's a shame that such a nice wedding had to be destroyed like that," he said, unable to remain quiet on that topic. His boneheaded brother had single-handily managed to wreck havoc on Keith and Anna's big day.

Haley's smile immediately vanished, her shoulders tensing up at the attack she knew was forming. He looked at her and shrugged his shoulders. "It's true, Haley, Lucas totally started a fight."

"Nate, I know it's hard for you to be objective, but Lucas was just reacting to your grandfather chasing him around all night," she explained, completely aware that the wedding turned into chaos toward the end. "It's not totally Luke's fault. He spent all day avoiding your grandparents."

Nate sighed in exasperation. "What's so horrible about them wanting to meet the guy? It's not their fault he's angry at the world," Nate expressed, tired of his half brother's hysterics. He'd spent his entire life trying to get Royal's attention and outside of basketball, he'd failed. Yet Lucas walked into a wedding and had the entire Scott family chasing him around like a puppy.

"The point isn't that they want to meet him but how everyone in your family keeps backing Luke into a corner. He's never going to let his defenses down if your family keeps forcing him to talk to them," she tenderly explained, knowing that Karen and Dan were totally missing this point. She knew Lucas better than anyone and Haley feared that Karen was making a huge mistake.

"I just don't know how Brooke puts up with this," he continued on, ignoring the warning looks Haley was sending him.

"What does this have to do with Brooke?" she asked, amazed at how that girl managed to work her way into every topic of conversation, even when she wasn't present.

Nathan sat beside her, careful not to crush the skirt of her pretty dress. "Every birthday party that Brooke ever had ended up with her parents screaming at each other about something. They ruined every birthday she ever had. I can't believe she'd get caught up in all Luke's drama," he proclaimed, feeling sorry for his friend.

"Luke's drama?" she asked incredulously. "Brooke is a text book definition of drama. I wouldn't worry about Lucas adding to her angst," she finally commented. Haley was aware that they were on thin ice and that their best friends would always be a problem in their relationship.

Nathan shook his head. "I guess we should probably just stop talking about those two," he suggested, knowing that it was a short term solution. But he really liked this girl and he didn't want to ruin a relationship because his brother was an idiot.

Haley nodded in agreement, happy that they were avoiding a full fledge fight. "I agree. Let's tank this relationship based on our mistakes, not theirs," she commented, before flushing at the meaning of her words. "Not that we are in a relationship," she hastily remarked, horrified that she'd said that.

Laughing, Nathan put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. "I wouldn't mind if we were….you know…dating or something," he mumbled, the words falling out with uncharacteristic rapidity. "We've seen two movies, gone to a wedding, told each other our life stories and shared a ton of secrets. I think we could try officially dating."

Haley's smile lit up her face, and she leaned in closer to him, kissing him full on the lips. "Yeah, I think we could try that," she said, laughing as the surprise faded from his face and he began kissing her back.

* * *

Anna thanked her last guest before turning toward her new family. It was finally over and all she could think about was walking across the street to the hotel and spending the rest of her life with her husband. "That went well, I think," she voiced out loud to no one in particular. Of course, if you ignored the near brawl between her father in law and nephew, it was the perfect wedding.

Keith wrapped his arms around her, settling them protectively on her waist. "It was an awesome wedding," he commented, having let the near fight go. He had to expect volatile things from his family. It was just in their nature.

Karen stood around directing the caterers in the break down of the tables. She grabbed an extra bottle of champagne and handed it to Anna. "You should take this to the honeymoon suite with you," she said, a mischievous sparkle in her eye. She was happy for Keith. He'd found a great girl to marry and she wished them both all the happiness she'd hoped for herself.

Anna stared at the bottle a moment, before handing it Roy and May. "I can't drink any alcohol, but I'm sure you two will put this to good use," she said, ignoring the incredulous looks Dan and Karen exchanged. They could only think of a few reasons that she couldn't drink on her wedding day and neither of them wanted to dwell on them.

Slapping his brother on the back, Dan pushed Keith toward the sidewalk. "If I just got married, I'd not be standing in the park talking to my family," he hinted, motioning toward the bride. "I'll get Karen and the parents home."

Keith smiled at Karen, enjoying the fact that he could finally have the various parts of his family together in one area. Well, almost all of his family. He had to give Lucas time to adjust. He'd been such a great help to Anna during the wedding, walking her down the aisle and giving her away like a pro. Keith knew his wife was wiggling her way into his nephew's heart. It was just a matter of time before the boy could learn to trust his own father.

"Okay, we're off to do married things," Anna announced, giving Keith's arm a tug. They smiled at the crowd before making their way to the hotel across the street.

Karen leaned closer to Dan and murmured, "She is soooooo pregnant." He looked at his ex with a knowing glance and agreed. "Ten dollars says that they make the announcement in the next month," he joked, glad that the night had ended up on a positive note. He couldn't change the state of affairs with his oldest son, but he could try to make things better for the rest of his family.

He watched as his parents made their way to his SUV and wrapped his arm in hers. "Let's get you home before something else happens," he said, steering her towards home.

* * *

More soon. Thanks for reading.


	40. Chapter 40

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 40

* * *

Lucas leaned back in his chair, trying to avoid looking bored. His mother sat beside him, silently willing him to see the error of his way. Looking around the small meeting room, Lucas surveyed the sea of young faces looking at various spots on the floor. No one seemed overly anxious to make eye contact or even talk for that matter. Lucas was sure that they'd all been brought to these classes against their will, which resulted in the tension that permeated the room.

"Lucas, pay attention," Karen softly hissed, reprimanding him like an errant child. The past few weeks had been a nightmare, she reflected. Lucas had responded to his two week grounding much better than the four games he'd been forced to miss during that time. But if the only leverage she had was basketball, then she'd use it. At some point, Karen had to force Lucas to submit to her rules. She couldn't have her only child drinking like a fish and ignoring curfew. Things simply could not continue the way they were going.

Lucas tensed up at her constant bitching, but forced himself to remain quiet. There was nothing he could say that wouldn't upset his mom and when she was upset, he was grounded. He couldn't bear to spend anymore time away from Brooke. Two weeks seemed like an eternity. And now his mother was insisting that he spent all his free time after work and practice at the Café, so she could watch him like a felon on parole. He'd spent the better part of his life in the stupid Café. When he was a kid, Karen didn't want him staying alone at home, so he'd hung around all night, wasting his life watching her serve people. He was too old to put up with that kind of parental control.

He turned his attention back to the guy in front of the class, who was rambling on about the evil effects of teenage alcohol consumption. His mother had lost it when she'd found the evidence of his late night party with Brooke under his bed. She'd grounded him for 2 weeks and all basketball games, punishing his entire team for a few harmless drinks.

Far worse than missing the basketball games was being forced to attend these boring alcohol prevention meetings that Karen had signed him up for. The class met every Wednesday night for six weeks at the hospital. Besides the dull testimony of "saved" and sober teens, the classes showed gruesome images of fatal drunk driving accidents. An added bonus was the disclosure of medical problems caused by underage drinking. The nature of the classes irked Lucas beyond compare. He could see the blatant manipulation behind every aspect of the course and it ticked him off that they thought they could manipulate him into not drinking by showing him gross pictures.

"I don't drive when I'm drinking," he muttered to no one in particular, seeing the image of a truck on top of a small sports car. Karen overheard his childish snark and pinched his arm like she used to when he was a boy misbehaving in Sunday school. "We can always repeat the course if you can't learn anything in six weeks," she hissed, her fury mounting with each passing moment. Lucas has the ability to project mutiny from every pore of his body without saying a single word. It was one of the traits she disliked about him with a passion. At least with Dan, he was vocal and in your face. Lucas had a surreptitious way of defying her, one that was hard to respond to.

Lucas slumped down in his chair, defiance radiating from him. "In Russia you can drink vodka when you're 13," he added, just trying to make his mother as uncomfortable as he was. "You should have brought Dan with us since he drinks like a sailor," he continued, not caring that his mother was getting madder with each passing word.

"Dan is an adult and he can drink whatever he likes. You, however, are not going to touch the stuff again if you want to get ungrounded before you go to college." She gave him an evil look as the final slide was shown and the class broke up for the week. Karen had better things to do than attend these classes but she did it so that Lucas might learn about why his behavior was so destructive.

They walked down the quiet hallway of the hospital in an uncomfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Karen perked up as they rounded a corner, nearly colliding with Brooke.

"Brooke, what are you doing here?" she politely asked, waiting for her son to remove his tongue from her mouth so the girl could answer. She was uncomfortable with the display, as she'd never really seen Lucas with a girlfriend before. She'd always hoped that he'd bring home a nice girl like Haley, who didn't radiate sex with her every movement.

Brooke looked at Karen, giving the older woman a "duh" look. She motioned toward her candy striper outfit. "I'm volunteering for cotillion," she explained, not sure if the woman was dense or just that desperate for conversation. She was already pissed at Karen for taking Broody away from her for two weeks.

Nodding at the dark haired girl, Karen allowed the couple to speak for a few moments. Lucas was officially ungrounded at midnight and she assumed they'd be on the phone all night regardless.

"Cotillion", she muttered to herself. Only her quiet son could find the town's version of Paris Hilton. Karen watched the kids for a moment, wondering what they had in common, outside of parties and alcohol. Even at her most popular in high school, Karen had never possessed the kind of money needed to get into the elite circles of Tree Hill. Brooke's family burned more money a month than Karen probably saved in a year and it was another reason for her to doubt the girl her son had put so much faith in.

She'd talked to Dan about the best way to handle Brooke. After all, Luke had been a model son until he'd started dating the girl. Dan had pointed out that telling Lucas he couldn't see the girl would probably backfire, creating more problems than it solved. Dan had defended the girl, stressing that she was loyal and fun, two characteristics that Lucas definitely needed in a love interest. She sighed, fighting the urge to lock her son away from the temptations of the world. Lucas had been a nightmare since he'd found out the truth about the accident. Both she and Dan had struggled with how to handle the boy since his attitude seemed to grow daily.

A movement out of the corner of her eye caught Karen's attention. An awareness of facts grew, alerting Karen to the source of her troubles. Motioning toward Brooke's hands, she sweetly asked "What do you have there, Brooke?"

The girl looked down at the folder she carried. "Oh," she exclaimed. "I was supposed to rush these to the lab for Dr. Brown," she explained to Lucas. Karen's eyes narrowed at the girls words. She was working at the hospital and had all sorts of access to medical records. At least now Karen knew who had uncovered the files from Lucas' accident. Brooke was the person responsible for opening up an event that should have been locked away in the past.

Brooke kissed Lucas quickly on the cheek. "I have to get these downstairs," she said, rushing off. Karen watched as she trotted off, muttering to herself "hope no one dies."

* * *

Three days later…

The door to the Café opened, letting a rush of fall air into the small interior. Karen looked up and smiled when she saw Dan leading his parents into her business. "Hello!" she merrily called out, not having seen them since the wedding a few weeks ago.  
Roy helped May toward the counter, making sure she was comfortably seated before looking up at Karen. "We're about to take off for home and I thought we'd stop in to say good-bye," he said, surreptitiously staring at the blonde boy in the back booth of the Café. As part of their new "understanding", Karen was making Lucas spend all his free time at the diner, so that he'd not inadvertently wander into trouble. Her son was furious at being tied to her apron strings, but managed to show up at a decent time following school and practice. Karen had made it very clear that she didn't trust him anymore.

Karen followed Roy's questioning glances toward her son and knew what he wanted. "Why don't you all have dinner before you hit the road?" she suggested, hoping that Lucas would get used to their presence on his turf before they had to leave.

Dan smiled at her graciousness and sat next to his mother. He loved Karen's cooking but the tension resulting from being around Lucas usually made it hard for him to enjoy meals at the Cafe. Reluctantly, Dan called out to his oldest son. "Hello, Lucas." His tone was neutral, attempting to sound slightly friendly. Unfortunately, his effort fell flat as Luke's steely blue eyes rose from the book he was reading, met Dan's eyes for a single, cold moment, and then fell back to the novel he was ensconced in.

Karen watched as her son dissed Dan's attempted greeting. It was nothing new to see Lucas ignore Dan but his blatant disrespect was grating on Karen's nerves. "Lucas, shouldn't you be doing your homework?" she asked, knowing that his last teacher's conference yielded several warnings about declining grades. Unfortunately for Karen, her overly intelligent boy would rather read books completely unrelated to his school assignments than focus on his actual homework.

The Cafe was silent as Lucas kept reading a moment. He finally found a stopping place, putting a book mark in the worn Dickens's novel before trading it for his physics book. Unfortunately, physics was no where near as entertaining as fiction. But Lucas was also aware that his grades were sliding faster than the stock market on Black Friday. He wasn't sure what the problem was. He'd always gotten excellent grades and managed to find ways to focus, even on subjects he wasn't particularly interested in. Lately, he could barely make it to class on time, let alone pay attention to his teachers. Once he'd forced himself through the inevitable Monday dinners with Dan and the wasted evenings at the Cafe, Lucas wanted nothing to do with his school work. Fiction at least offered an escape from the miserable life he currently had.

The clock ticked slowly, customers coming and going in steady droves. Roy finished his coffee and pulled his wallet out of his pocket. Karen put a hand on his, objecting. "You are not going to pay for dinner," she insisted, knowing that without his financial backing, there would be no Café. The least she could do was to give him and May a good meal before their trip back to Florida.

May smiled at her sweetly. "It's such a nice place, Karen. You've done so much with it," she commented, knowing that for years the place had been a used bookstore or something. Her smile faltered a moment, as she stared longingly at the remote grandson sitting in the back of the Cafe. The older woman strengthened her resolve and walked over to where her grandson sat.

She slid into the booth across from him and smiled as he looked up in annoyance. "Hello, Lucas," she cheerfully said, determined to maintain her normal personality while everyone in her family was walking on eggshells around the boy. Danny was at a complete loss at dealing with his oldest son and Roy just got angry at the boy's attitude.

Lucas gazed at her with weary eyes, resolving himself for yet another grandparent bonding session. After the wedding he'd managed to avoid them the entire time they'd been in town but Lucas knew it was only a matter of time before they tried again. He didn't want to be mean to the old woman in front of him but he didn't want to have to associate with anymore Scotts either.

"Roy and I are heading back to Florida, so we won't see you for a while," she explained, folding her hands on the chipped Formica table top that separated them. She waited patiently for a response, for any sign of life from the sullen child in front of her.

"Bye," Luke finally replied, knowing that anything else he said would more than likely get him in trouble. He could sense the other people in the small Cafe staring at him and he knew more than likely his mother already had her talons out, ready to bitch slap him. Besides, telling the woman that he didn't care where she went or if he ever saw her again was redundant. She wasn't a part of his life and he didn't really care to spend any time arguing the point.

May took in his disinterested expression and reached out and gently grabbed his hand. She looked down at it, noticing how very similar it was to Danny's. She looked at him, noting his confusion over the way she was studying his hand. "You have Danny's basketball hands," she explained, knowing that most of the Scott men were made to shoot basketballs, much to her dismay. That stupid sport had dominated her family's life for over two generations.

Lucas took in her words and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm glad to know he gave me something because he sure has hell hasn't provided me with much in life." His tone was bitter and caustic, but it was the best he could do. You couldn't treat him like scum for his entire life and then send in a stealth grandma to soothe away his pain.

May leaned back in her seat, very much aware of the anger in the boy's words. "I don't blame you for being mad at Danny. He's gone and made a horrible mess out of something that should have been a joyful event," she slowly began, knowing that she was on uncertain ground. "But Roy and I didn't abandon you. We just want to know our grandchild."

Lucas slammed his book shut, not caring if his mother was watching or not. "You passively abandoned me just as he actively abandoned me. You never once tried to help my mother and me, so why should I give you the time of day?"

May smiled at him, knowing the deal that Karen and Roy had was top secret. Lucas would probably never know just how hard Roy had tried to take care of him. "You may never know what we've tried to do, Lucas. I just hope that some day you'll try to have a bit of empathy for people who get caught in the crossfire of a family battle." She stood up before reaching out and touching the crown of golden hair, much like her own blond locks. "Take care of yourself."

She was gone before he realized it, still affected by her touch and her grandmotherly aura. He totally missed having grandparents and as a small child, he'd desperately coveted the yearly visits Haley got from both sets of grandparents. In the middle of sleepless nights, he could admit that he was curious about his other family. But the anger and hatred he felt usually overpowered any moment of weakness or curiosity. Dan was tainted goods and everything he touched turned evil.

He was startled out of his reverie by May, who'd abruptly turned back to where he sat. Against her better judgment, she took the pencil out of his frozen hand and began writing on the pad of paper he kept his class notes in. "That's my email address. Maybe you could drop me a note sometime and let me know what's going on in your life?"

Luke's eyebrows rose, an incredulous expression on his face. "You use email?"

She nodded brightly, happy that she'd thought of this desperate attempt to reach out to him. "I check my email daily. If you want, I could get your email address, too," she suggested, knowing that he'd not willing exchange the information. May was a wise woman who'd been surrounded by stubborn men her entire life. If she could manage and contain Roy, she could find a way to weasel them both into Luke's life. Roy and Dan were all bluster and overt action. She preferred to accomplish things with a bit of slyness.

Lucas watched her walk away and rejoin her family at the counter before looking down at the email address on his notebook. HER family, he thought, not his. Ignoring the good-byes that were taking place so near to him, he reopened his text book and shoved the offending notebook out of sight. He had better things to do than to obsess about a wanna be grandmother.

* * *

Thanks for reading and replying. I appreciate the great comments I've gotten lately. I know the story seems like it's moving slowly, but there's usually a reason behind every line I write. Things are building to a mini-nova shortly. I'm saving the super nova for the last chapter.


	41. Chapter 41

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 41

* * *

Lucas walked toward the garage with Brooke, hands intertwined as if there were no cares in the world. He'd finally gotten himself ungrounded and was taking advantage of spending time with his girlfriend. He smiled as they walked along. Just the word girlfriend made him happy. He suddenly didn't feel so alone in the world.

Smiling over at him, Brooke wiggled their tangled hands to gain his attention. "What are you brooding about today, handsome?" she asked in a teasing tone. His tendency toward being pensive was one of his most attractive qualities.

"I'm just stressed out," he admitted, squinting down at her in the bright sunshine of the late fall afternoon. "Between work, school and basketball, I'm all out of energy." She snuggled closer to him and grinned. "That's a shame since what I'm thinking about requires LOT'S of energy," she suggestively replied, leaving no doubt as to what she'd like to do with him, if given the chance. "Why don't you skip work and come home with me? My parents won't be home for hours, if at all."

He weighed the offer as the continued on toward the garage. He was overly tempted to skip work and go sit in Brooke's hot tub. "I'd really love to, but I promised Keith that we'd finish up a few cars today. He's really starting to get overbooked lately," Lucas explained, knowing that Brooke had no concept of what an obligation work was. She'd never had a job and as far as Lucas could tell, she had no responsibility around her house.

Staring at her wistful eyes, he nearly reconsidered. "Seriously, Brooke. I need to help Keith out. He can't afford to lose business because he doesn't have reliable help." Keith was finally getting his business to a new level of profitability and Lucas didn't want to be the reason he failed. He was grateful that she didn't protest more, knowing that he had a tendency to cave to her every wish. "Don't you need to go pick up your dress today?" he suggested, trying to distract her mind from being alone all afternoon. That dance was only a few days away and Luke knew Brooke had been avoiding the entire thing.

"I don't care about the stupid dress," she retorted, still upset that her mother had managed to run off both her boyfriend and her father for the biggest social event of her life. Brooke had come to dread the event when she should have been anticipating it. "Besides, my mother went to the store to pay for the stupid thing, so why does it matter if I go and pick it up now?"

He looked down at her fondly, knowing that her defiant words were aimed more at her mother and not the offending white dress. "Because you don't want to leave these little details to the last minute," he smoothly replied, maneuvering her around a slight puddle on the sidewalk. "What does the dress look like anyway?"

"It's your basic plain white sequin number. I'm letting all those other girls wear the fu fu and the ruffles with the Scarlet O'Hara hoop skirts. I've got a sheath dress that is going to knock all the other deb's socks off," she confidently replied. When she'd gone into the designer boutique to dress shop, the store manager had shown Brooke an endless sea of virgin tulle dresses. They were all sickening sweet and reminded Brooke of a ballet gown gone horribly wrong. But after snooping around the store, she'd found the perfect cocktail dress hidden amongst the more expensive dresses.

"That's my girl," he laughed, loving her competitive nature. It had been a few months since he'd seen Brooke this animated. His heart grew warm, seeing her general fighting spirit coming back into play.

She looked down at her beaded wedge shoes for a moment, before looking up to meet his very blue eyes. "I just hate that you can't be there with me. You should be my date that night and my daddy should be presenting me to society," she whined, hating the fact that usurpers had taken her life over. Her step father was trying to take over all the roles her daddy played, including escorting her into the dance. God knows who she'd have to spend the rest of the evening dancing with since Luke wasn't going as her date. Nathan was already claimed by one of the other debs and that left Brooke uneasy about whom her mother would procure as an acceptable date.

"Maybe I can hijack Dan into escorting me," she mused, before looking up and seeing a look of horror on her boyfriend's face. She gently shoved him, trying to lessen the tension that crept in around her earlier comment. "He's not that bad, Luke." It was hard for Brooke to articulate why she liked Dan. Lucas wasn't going to listen to anything she said on the topic anyway, she reasoned, knowing that her boyfriend's hatred of his biological father ran deep. But Nate's father had never been anything but kind to her, and that was a huge factor in Brooke's ability to tolerate the man's pushiness regarding her best friend.

Scowling, Lucas avoided an elderly couple that was window shopping. "I think it's best to add Dan to our list of people to avoid talking about," he said, referencing their talk the night of the wedding regarding Haley and Nathan. "I certainly am sick of having my mother sing Dan's praises every freaking night," he angrily retorted. He'd thought his relationship with his mother was impervious to any outside factors, but Dan was beginning to cause fractures that he wasn't sure would ever heal. Lucas was convinced that Dan had some how managed to brainwash his mother into forgetting the past. But nothing would ever erase or heal the pain that Lucas had regarding his childhood. The only person responsible for that was his absentee father.

Recalling the image of Dan and Karen hugging the day of the wedding, Brooke hesitated at asking Lucas directly about the status of his parent's relationship. "Do you ever wonder what they were like when they were together?" she asked. There was a tenderness she'd seen between the two and her boyfriend seemed incapable of thinking that his parents were ever intimate. "I mean, they were very close when they were our age. Maybe old feelings are resurfacing."

Lucas considered her words for a moment, before laughing at the very idea of his parents as anything but sworn enemies. Sure, his mother was trying to make peace with the man, but there was no way that she'd ever forgive him on that level. "There is no way my mother would ever let that slime ball back into her life."

* * *

The sounds of late afternoon fell over the Café, the lunch crowd long gone. Karen took stock of her pastries, knowing that the post school rush was only moments from appearing. A sound at the door drew her attention.

Dan smiled at her and nearly bounded over to the counter, a look akin to glee written on his face. "You look like you ran over someone on the way over here," she commented, knowing that driving like a maniac was a competitive sport for the man.

Dan grabbed the cup of coffee she offered, practically bouncing in his seat. "You remember that contract I was going after?" he asked.

She thought back through all the business discussions they'd had the past few weeks. "The one that provides Crown Victorias for the state troopers?" she asked, knowing that Dan always had some plan for extending his business.

"I got the contract," he exclaimed, happy at the thought of all that money he was guaranteed per year. "This will totally up my yearly sales goals," he declared, happy that he could talk business with Karen. For so many years he'd had no one to share parenting ideas and business talk with. Now, he had both in his long time friend.

Karen reached out across the counter and grabbed his hand, squeezing it in support. "That's great, Danny. I know how much work you put into that bidding process." He'd spent countless hours at her Café writing out the proposal and calculating fees for the bid. Despite the years of silence between them, Karen had found that time and life experience had given them new, more mature common interests. Their mutual interest in business had provided endless hours of conversation during their daily coffee breaks.

He grasped her hand in return, reluctant to let go of her tiny hand. He'd always marveled at how strong her hands were given their small size. And god knows he'd been on the receiving end of her slaps enough to know just how much power they packed. They'd been so full of drama and angst as teens. It was nice to finally have more stability to their...friendship. He thought about that word and looked up at Karen in confusion. "Are we friends?" he abruptly asked, completely unsure of where things stood between them.

Karen dropped his hand, suddenly self conscious about the proximity between them. "I...well...I'm not sure," she admitted, taken back by his question. Luke's anger toward Dan caused her to keep her distance, to marginalize the interaction between them. But realistically, she knew they were friends. They'd fallen back into old patterns, confiding in each other about everything. In the space of mere weeks, she was once again thick as thieves with Dan Scott. Dan had basically taken over the void in her life created by Keith's marriage.

Dan's face fell, her uncertainty at being friends hurting his notion that they'd made progress over the past few months. Uncharacteristically, he stumbled over his words. "But...I just thought that we'd worked through the past," he lamely finished.

Karen wrapped her arms around her waist, as to protect herself. "Forgiving is not forgetting, Dan. It's been a hard 16 years for me." It was difficult for her to let go, to trust him after so many horrific actions. But part of her missed Dan and was happy to have him back in her life. She wanted and needed a father for Lucas. Dan's feedback regarding their son helped her with the male point of view, and she hoped that would help her get back on track with Lucas. Lately, she seemed to lack the dominance she needed to control her headstrong child. Dominance that Dan exuded in abundance.

"I'm not sure I trust you, Dan. And I'm not friends with people that I don't trust." Her words affected him, hurt him. She could tell that he was ready to go on with life, allowing Karen back into his world as easily as he'd banished her years ago.

His throat tightened at her words, knowing that she simply spoke the truth. The last few weeks had been great for him. He had an adult to share the events of the day with, someone whose advice he welcomed and respected. Dan couldn't explain his feelings for the pretty, dark haired woman in front of him. Things were better...right...when she was around. It was as if every feeling he had now had an outlet or a function. After 8 years of being emotionally numb, Dan felt....alive again.

He moved closer to her, taking in her scent and the heat that radiated off her tiny frame. He unwrapped one of the arms still wrapped protectively around her middle. Running his fingers down her bare arm, he spoke to her earnestly. "I'm not the same person I was 16 years ago. I swear to you that I'm not going to hurt you or leave," he explained. "I'm going to work things out with Lucas and I'm not going to walk out again."

Staring into his eyes, Karen could since the sincerity of his words. More importantly, she felt the barriers around herself crumble, wanting to cave into the protection of his promised shelter. He hesitated for a moment, before pulling her into his arms. Sighing, Karen allowed herself to relax into his shoulder, knowing that she'd finally let go of a huge source of the pain she'd carried around for 16 years.

From the sidewalk, Lucas Scott stood frozen, one hand on the door to the Café and the other clenched tightly at his side. His first instinct at seeing his father holding his mother was to rush in and protect her, to pull her away from the monster that had haunted his dreams for most of his life. He paused for a moment, watching as they stood lost in time, oblivious to the fact that they were hugging in the middle of a public space. Lucas realized in shock and horror that his mother was a willing participant in that hug. A rush of bile hit the bottom of his throat, forcing Lucas to walk away from his mother's business. His shoulders slumped as he aimlessly walked the streets, mindless of his destination. He couldn't go home and he couldn't go back to the Café. Finding himself in a less than great part of town, he slumped down on a worn bus stop bench, too tired and depressed to go on. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Sorry for the double post. I totally posted a chapter without formatting it for guidelines. Mea culpa. Thanks for reading and replies, even ones that demand Karen's slow death, are always welcome.

Cyn


	42. Chapter 42

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 42

* * *

Brook held up a very white formal dress and slowly spun around, allowing Nathan to take in the full horror that was her debutant dress. Her mother refused to buy the sheath dress Brooke selected, picking out a ruffled, full skirted number for her daughter instead.

Nathan shifted uneasily on her sleek, black bed. "Uh…it's very…bridal," he neutrally commented from his position on her bed. He wasn't sure about most things related to fashion but the dress certainly wasn't Brooke's style. The silence grew as heavy as his friend's expression of gloom. "Ah, it's also very white," he added, not wanting his friend to think he didn't care or wasn't trying.

Hurling the fluffy white dress to the floor, Brooke grabbed her diet coke and carefully sat down next to Nate on the stark, black bed. "It's hideous. I look like I got trapped in an industrial vat of marshmallow fluff," Brooke decried, horrified that she was supposed to wear that in public. "That skirt is so full, Lucas could sneak in under it and no one would know."

Nathan looked over at her in sympathy. "Is your mom still demanding that Lucas not go to the dance with you?" he asked, knowing it was a sore subject with his best friend. While Nathan wasn't exactly happy to be going to the cotillion, it was expected of him, the same as playing basketball. It was hard for people like Haley and Lucas to understand the conventions of tradition that governed his and Brooke's lives. There were just some things that were expected. Dan was a very important member of the club and his son was supposed to participate, no matter how much he'd rather stay home and watch a movie with Haley.

Sighing, Brooke leaned her head against his strong shoulder. "My mom is such insufferable bitch," she said, knowing that wasn't news to Nathan. He'd watched Katherine Davis destroy her daughter's life for years. "She's convinced that my life will be ruined if anyone in town sees me with Lucas. It's like fucking feudalism is alive and kicking in Tree Hill." Brooke didn't care if her boyfriend was poor, he treated her better than any of country club set she'd every date.

"It's bad enough she's picked my dress out, but now she's picking my date as well." Staring at the offending white gown on the floor, Brooke's anger increased exponentially. She wasn't sure who would be taking her to the dance. Generally, a father escorted his daughter to the dance and then turned her over to her date. So far, Brooke was batting 0 for 2 since her father wasn't coming and Lucas had been banned from the country club by her mother.

Nathan rubbed her shoulder, knowing that he couldn't take the pain of her family life away from her. He'd watched for years as her parents neglected her emotionally. Now her mother seemed hell bent on making her physically sick, as well. "You can leave soon, Brooke. You can go to college and get away from your mother and Trey. You can create a new life, free from her control."

She slowly exhaled, knowing that his words offered a better future, but little solace for the present. "How many years have we been counting down, Nate? How long have we waited to get free from our parents?" she asked, knowing that they'd wasted half their short lives living for a distant future.

He considered her words. Nate had been looking forward to going away to school for as long as he could remember. Anything was better than living with the shrine to sadness that his home had become. Between his father's grief and demanding basketball coaching, Nate was looking forward to any bit of freedom he could hold on to.  
"You just have to hang in there, Brooke."

Restlessly, she shoved off the bed and paced around the spacious room, her bare feet making little sound on the black and white marble floor. She absently picked up Luke's hoodie from the far side of the bed and folded it up against her body for comfort. Even away from Lucas, the garment smelled like its owner.

Nate's eyebrows rose in surprise. It wasn't every day that Brooke let a guy leave artifacts in her room. "Is he moving in now or what?" Nate asked, his voice touched with scorn at the idea of his best friend with his half brother.

Brooke shook her head at the tone in his voice. "He just spent last night here. He saw something with Karen and Dan that really upset him," she revealed, noting the look of shock on her friend's face. "I'm not sure what happened, he wouldn't tell me. I just got a call around midnight asking if I could pick him up at that pool hall across town."

A frown crossed Nate's face. "What the hell was he doing on that side of town that late at night?" he incredulously asked. While he didn't have much respect for his brother, he didn't think he was a moron. The pool hall was one of the few trouble spots that idyllic Tree Hill had.

She shrugged her shoulders in response. "Nate, he kind of lives on that side of town. Besides, he didn't say much, just that he was sick of Dan hanging around the Café so much," she hedged, not wanting to tell Nate the entire truth. Lucas had not totally filled her in, but she guessed he'd seen his parents together and stormed off. "We spent the rest of the night drinking vodka and avoiding his mother's cell calls."

Nathan listened to her words, uneasy at the amount of time his father was spending with Luke's mother. He'd grown accustomed to their Monday night dinners but after seeing them embrace at Keith's wedding, Nathan had a sinking feeling that his father was finally moving on. Though he'd encouraged his dad to date for years, the idea that he'd replace his mother with Karen was unsettling. He looked over at her in disdain. "You've got to stop drinking so much, Brooke. I think Luke's issues are dragging you down."

Snorting, she looked over at him in surprise. "As if I didn't drink like a fish before I met him," she muttered, knowing that she had a tendency to blot out her pain with booze. If it made her and Broody feel better, what was the harm? She'd just felt totally overwhelmed lately, with her stepfather stalking her and her stepbrother leaving her obscene messages on her cell. If some alcohol helped calm her down, what was wrong with that?

Nathan shook his head, knowing that she'd do whatever she wanted to do despite his concerns. "Just be careful, Brooke. The last thing you want is to get pregnant or pass out and hurt yourself."

She shrugged her shoulders at his words. "There are worse things in life, Nate," she cryptically replied, knowing that bad things could happen in your own bedroom.

Moving back toward the offending gown, Brooke nudged it disinterestedly with her toe. "What are you going to do about that," Nathan asked, looking for a distraction from his family dysfunction and her melancholy.

Looking up at him, she gave him an evil grin, the old Brooke fighting through the layers of despair that fought to over take her on a daily basis. "I have a plan for it, for all of it," she cryptically replied, knowing that she would never go down or give in without a fight.

* * *

Luke ambled into the garage, relieved to be out of the afternoon light and into the relative tranquility of the building. His head was pounding, an unfortunate after affect of the booze he'd consumed the night before. Hearing the indelible sound of a wrench hitting concrete, he leaned over to see Keith looking up at him from underneath a Buick.

"Afternoon, Sunshine," Keith's voice boomed, reverberating between Luke's already sensitive ears. He watched silently as Keith moved out from underneath the car, wiped his hands off and reached behind the counter, tossing him a bottle of Advil. "Seems like you could use a few of these," he added, the telltale signs of a hangover clearly written on his nephew's face.

Lucas swallowed a handful of the pills, praying to god that his head would stop pounding at some point in time. He'd suffered through most of school, having shown up two hours late. Lucas wasn't stupid; he knew he'd have to cut back on the drinking before it affected his game and his grades. He frowned a moment at that thought, knowing that his grades were already beginning to slide. "Thanks, Keith," he muttered. He just wanted to get to work and get this day over with.

Keith silently watched his nephew for a moment. "You might want to give your mom a call. Your disappearing act last night caused a lot of panic for your family," he casually mentioned. Keith's heart went out to the boy. He knew that Lucas was having trouble adjusting to Dan's presence in his life, but he was more concerned about Karen's seeming ignorance about the anguish it was causing her son. But the fact that Lucas was blatantly drinking and staying out all night were not good signs.

Lucas played with the bottle of pills a few minutes before tossing it back on the counter and turning to face his uncle. "I think she had her hands full last night. I'm surprised she knew I was missing," he said, irritation filling each word.

A quizzical look crossed the older man's face, prompting Lucas to clarify things. "Last night I went to the Café after work and saw my mother hugging the devil spawn himself," he explained, seeing the shocked expression on his brother's face at his words. "I mean, isn't that why you broke up with mom?"

Keith leaned back against the old Buick he was working on, trying to reference Luke's words. "We broke up because it wasn't working out, Luke. We just couldn't get on the same page, at the same time."

Walking up to his uncle, Luke's words took on an accusatory tone. "That's not what you told her the night you dumped her. I was in the kitchen and I heard you accuse her of having feelings for Dan," he bitterly explained. "I guess that was confirmed from last night's lovefest."

Keith put a gentle hand on his nephew's shoulder. "First, I did not dump your mother. It just wasn't working out, Luke. Second, I don't know that your mother still has feelings for Dan. I was just trying to point out that she never got closure from that relationship and she's letting something that happened 16 years ago rule her life," he explained. "Third, I'm not sure what you saw last night, but you should talk to your mother and let her explain." Keith was concerned about the growing distance between Karen and her son. It was like looking at an accident in morbid curiosity.

Leaning against the work bench opposite of the car, Lucas rubbed his head in his hands to stop the pounding hangover. He just wanted to go home and get some sleep but he feared running into his mother and starting another fight. "I don't want to talk to her or him or anyone right now," Lucas petulantly declared. "I just want to get started here so that I can go home and sleep."

The sound of heels tapping across concrete drew their attention toward the front of the garage. Anna dropped her purse and school bag on the beat up counter and smiled as she moved toward them. "Hey, Lucas," she greeted him, opting to give an oil covered Keith a slight kiss instead of a hug. Lucas took in her crisp, wool clothing and noted how out of place she looked in the garage. He observed a conspiratorial look between the two and internally sighed, knowing that he was about to get hit with another two by four.

Anna smiled at her suspicious nephew. She understood that look far better than anyone else could. She'd spent her life seeing that immediately before being told that she had to move to a new foster home or that a family didn't want her any more. She spoke quickly, to help quell the discomfort she saw in his eyes. "Keith and I have some news, Luke," she slowly began, hoping that Keith would help her out.

Keith continued, encouraged by the bright smile on Anna's face. "We wanted you to be the first to know, Luke," he began.

Lucas instinctually wrapped his arms around his stomach, knowing that this couldn't be good. "Is someone dying of cancer?" he asked, his voice full of anxiety.

Anna smiled at him, again feeling closer to him by the day. "No one is dying, Lucas. But we did want you to know that we're going to have a baby," she happily replied, watching his face as he reacted to her words. Anna understood that the boy had gone through so many changes that any news was likely to upset his emotions.

Lucas took in her words and immediately stared at the ground, not sure how to react. He knew it was only a matter of time before they had a kid, seeing how Keith wanted a family. But he'd not expected it so soon after the wedding. "I guess you all have been busy," he noted, hinting at their premarital activities.

Worried, Keith moved closer to his nephew. "Are you okay with this, Luke?" he quietly asked, desperately wanting Lucas to feel the joy that he and Anna were feeling. Lucas looked up at Keith and slowly smiled.

"You're going to look funny compared to all the young parents on the first day of school," he joked, noting Keith was fast approaching forty. The tension lessened a bit and Anna took advantage of the mood change in her nephew. "Lucas, we've discussed this and we'd really like you to be the baby's god father," she ventured, wanting Lucas to play a big role in this baby's life. She wanted to give her child the extended family she'd never had.

He looked at the blonde woman in front of him and smiled. It was nearly impossible to dislike her, he realized. She had a special way of endearing herself to others, Lucas included. "I'm not really sure what a godfather does outside of the mafia, but it sounds like a gig I can handle," he finally said, causing both adults to smile. Anna moved in for a quick hug, gently squeezing his back before moving back to Keith's side. Keith smiled at his family, happy that things were finally settling down. It was going to be a great year, he thought. They just had to navigate a few rough spots.

* * *

Happy Bday to me! Thanks for the awesome replies last chapter. Maybe I should put Karen's head on a platter...it seems to be very popular. Thanks for reading and replying.


	43. Chapter 43

There's a "bad" word at the end of the chapter. All sensitive readers ...probably aren't reading this story.

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 43

* * *

Brooke looked into the mirror and slowly exhaled. Ignoring the sound of the girly chatter that surrounded her, she instead stared at her shoes, wondering if this night would ever end. The 20 debs had been sequestered in a room off of the main ballroom. What was normally a meeting room had been converted into a mini salon, complete with mirrors and hairspray. Brooke coughed as the girl next to her over sprayed, coating her with a thick mist of hair spray. Shooting the girl a nasty look, she grabbed her purse and made her way to a dark corner, behind a panel of floor to ceiling mirrors. Sighing, she leaned against the wall, grateful that she'd finally found a quiet spot away from all those giggling girls.

Though Brooke had been forced to socialize with them at the club and from school, she found most of them to be the worst kind of vanilla. Bland, conformists the lot of them, she thought. Opening her purse, she dug through it frantically, relaxing only when her manicured nails touched the vial inside. Ignoring her shaking hands, she pried the cap off the bottle and quickly swallowed a couple of valium that she'd stolen from her mother's industrial size medicine cabinet.

Her mother. The words caused Brooke's heart to race, despite the booze she'd consume earlier and the drugs she'd just popped. The bitch had actually followed through on her threat to bring her step brother to town to escort her to the dance. Brooke thought Katherine had been joking but the joke was on her when she'd bounded down the stairs earlier that day and run smack into the son of a bitch. J.J had leered at her a moment, before leaning over and running his hand under shirt and caressing her breasts for a moment. "How's Trix?" he asked, as she violently shoved him away from her.

Brooke closed her eyes, forcing the memory from her mind. Katherine had flown the sleaze in to town just for her "big occasion". Apparently, Lucas wasn't acceptable, but her rapist was. Rapist. The word caused her heart to pound even harder. She forced herself not to take another pill, willing herself to relax and let what was in her system take affect. All she had to do was put on her dress, walk down the aisle with her sleazy stepfather, dance with the sleazy stepbrother and then she'd find a way to sneak out of the party and get back to Lucas. Everything would be okay if she could just get to her boyfriend.

She slid down the wall and pulled her knees close to her chest. A few tears coursed down her face, smudging the making she'd painstakingly applied earlier. Eventually her heart slowed down, the panic attack averted. She rested her head on her knees and prayed the night would be over soon.

* * *

Karen flipped the sign to the Café to 'closed' and walked over to the counter where Dan was nursing his coffee. "He should be here in a few minutes," she said, trying to lighten the mood a bit. Dan shrugged his shoulders, knowing that this discussion wasn't going to turn out well. Karen had waited for Lucas to meander home that morning, realizing that he was seriously late for school. Fighting the instinct to lecture and yell, she'd calmly told her son that there was going to be a family discussion that night. She didn't care if she was closing up early on a Friday night. The loss of business paled in comparison to the loss of her son. And Lucas was sliding down a path that she couldn't condone. She'd watched her parents waste away due to alcohol and she wasn't going to let that happen to her son. She was more upset about the scent of alcohol on his breath than the fact that he'd stayed out all night on a school night. She was simply terrified of alcohol.

"Karen, you can't force the boy to talk if he doesn't want to. As far as I'm concerned, we can lecture him about staying out and drinking, but he's not going to tell you why he's so angry," Dan explained, seeing the situation much clearer than Karen was. Dan's eyes focused on the floor. He knew that Luke's recent behavior was his fault. He was trying to do too much too late. And he couldn't really blame Lucas. If Dan were in the same situation, he'd be angry too. Scott's weren't known for being overly forgiving.

Karen shook her head in dismay and leaned back against the wall behind the counter for support. Things were spinning out of control that much she could tell. She just didn't know how to give her son the family he desperately craved while allowing him to vent his frustrations. "We've messed up, haven't we?" she dejectedly asked him, knowing that the answer was obvious. They'd both fed Luke's anger and unease. Karen had let her son carry the burden of her single motherhood, while Dan had simply not been there for his son.

Putting his coffee aside, Dan walked behind the counter and rubbed Karen's shoulders, trying to get her to relax a bit. "It's not going to help if you are stressed when he gets here. We both need to be very level headed and not let him push our buttons," he explained, as his hands continued to work magic on her back. Karen closed her eyes, leaning back into his massaging fingers. It was ironic that she'd spent so much time the past 16 years avoiding the man who right now offered her the greatest comfort she knew.

Dan inhaled the scent he identified as Karen, noting that she'd not changed her perfume since they were in high school. It was a heady fragrance, one that made his heart pound and his senses come to life. He continued rubbing her shoulders, taking delight in the way her smooth skin felt beneath his exploring hands. Looking down, Dan noticed Karen's firm, smooth neck and for a moment he fought the urge to kiss the space. Shaking his head, he tried to snap out of the trance she'd put him in. No matter how close they'd grown the past month, he didn't think Karen would appreciate his thoughts.

Smiling, Karen fumbled at her waist, trying to get off the apron she'd put on earlier that morning. "It's knotted," she explained to Dan, who was still standing behind her. His hands slid around her waist, coming to rest on her stomach. "Let me help," Dan murmured, letting his hands work the knotted apron cord.

Karen's senses were tingling, an electric energy traversing her body in a way that she'd not experienced in years. No other man had ever lit her senses like Dan was doing now. Giving into the intense feelings, she tipped her head to the side, inviting his eager lips. Dan wasted no time, placing gentle kisses over her satiny skin, enjoying both the taste and the softness he found there.

Pulling her back against him, Dan continued kissing her, even as his hands roved over her taunt abs. Karen's head swam a moment, completely lost in feelings that were rushing over her. She abruptly turned, staring up at his intense blue eyes. Reaching out, Dan moved a strand of her hair away from face, making eye contact with her. He felt a surreal sense of hesitation, as if things were moving in slow motion. Karen reached up and touched his check for a moment, then reached up on tip toe and kissed him, full on the lips.

Dan was only shocked a second, before he pulled Karen into his body, pressing her tiny frame against his large frame. Seizing the moment, he deepened the kiss. There was a feeling of completeness that he'd not felt in so many years. A feeling of belonging and contentment washed over Dan. He wanted this moment to last forever.

Somewhere in the back ground, Karen heard the door to the Café open. She was so caught up in Dan, on the way he made her feel, that it took angry words to snap her back to reality.

"What the fuck are you doing to my mother?" Lucas yelled, causing the two panting adults in front of him to jump apart.

* * *

EWWWWWWWWWWWW! Adult people groping!!!! Yeah, so I guess we can talk about Karen's head on a platter again. I know there are some strong feelings about Karen and Dan but try not to burn them in effigy yet. For the Brooke lovers, you'll be getting a lot of it in the next few chapters.


	44. Chapter 44

Warning: This chapter has a bad word and some tense scenes.

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 44

* * *

Nathan ignored the chaos around him, girls running to get into line, fathers in tuxes looking for the right daughter in white dresses, all the while a crazed MC was chatting up the waiting crowd. He moved out of the way as a huge hoop skirt brushed past him and bumped into Brooke, who was hiding out in a corner, still in her robe.

"Brooke, Trey is looking for you. They are already lining up," Nate yelled, fighting to be heard over the din of noise surrounding them. They were beginning to introduce the girls to society and his friend was hiding in a corner. He looked at Brooke for a moment as fear griped him. "You aren't drunk are you?" he asked, looking at her suspiciously calm person.

Brooke gave him a half hearted smile, beyond mellow after the two Valium she'd taken earlier. "No, I'm not drunk. I just don't want to do this thing," she explained, hating that she'd been forced to participate in something so…outdated and fake. Oh, she'd been excited a few months ago. But something was changing inside of her. The expensive dresses and the glamorous parties were losing their appeal to her.

He looked down at her robe in confusion. "Aren't you supposed to be dressed and ready to go?" he asked, totally confused by both her dress and her demeanor. First his dad bails on the party and now Brooke was moving around like a pod person.

"I've got a few minutes. I'm second to the last to be called. You can tell Trey to chill and I'll be out in a few minutes," she distantly replied. At the end of that red carpet was her date for the evening and she just had to figure out a way to avoid spending the rest of the dance with J.J. Her heart lurched a bit, knowing that she couldn't bear touching her step-brother, even if it was for dancing in a room full of people.

Sighing, Nathan watched as she disappeared into the chaos, wishing once again that he'd just stayed at home and invited Haley over to watch a movie. Sighing, he headed toward the club's entrance, determined to get away from this circus.

Brooke moved toward the main entrance to the ballroom, biding her time and ignoring the stares her robe was getting. She smirked and realized that it was all for a good purpose. Taking a deep breath, she heard her name called. Shucking off her robe, she gracefully grabbed her creepy stepfather's arm before he could react to her red sequined mini dress.

Pulling Trey down the stairs she struck a pose as the announcer read her biography, completely ignorant of the shock running through the gathered ranks of Tree Hill's limited old guard society matrons. She found her mother across the room and took in the woman's shocked face. Before she could walk down the red carpet toward her step brother Trey yanked her off to the side, maneuvering her to the foyer. She might have just humiliated her mother but at least she'd not spend the rest of the night dancing with the guy who raped her.

Her mother slowly approached, a look of rage marring her botoxed skin. Smirking, Brooke revealed in pissing the adults off. "I told you I wasn't going to wear that hideous dress you picked out," she commented, not even seeing her mother's hand before it made contact with her face.

"You little shrew," Katherine hissed, humiliated in front of everyone that mattered. "You will pay for this," she said, yanking Brooke's arm toward the doorway of the Club. Paybacks were a bitch.

* * *

"Lucas, watch your language," Karen lectured, horrified that he'd resulted to such base language.

Lucas put his hand in the pouch of his hoodie and glared at her and Dan. "I'll watch my language when you get your tongue out of his mouth," he muttered, not caring if he was grounded yet again.

Dan took a few menacing steps toward the boy, intent on teaching him some respect, when Karen pulled his arm back, slowing his march on their son. "Dan, we are here to talk, not fight," she murmured, trying to keep the two men separated. She turned her attention toward her son.

"Lucas, you have to accept that Dan and I have a past together. We were very close at one time, and now we've gotten closer as friends. I don't want you to mistakenly think that you have any right to tell me who I can and can't be friends with," she sternly lectured.

Lucas slumped back against the counter, a sullen look across his face. "I don't think reconnecting with an old friend means swapping bodily fluids with them," Lucas grimly retorted. Karen's eyes widened at his implication, before narrowing again in disapproval.

Before she could speak, Dan leaned over toward his son, anger clearly written on his chiseled features. "You do not speak to your mother like that," Dan demanded, clearly annoyed by his son's treatment of his mother. He poked a finger into the gangly boy's chest, as if to add emphasis to his words.

Lucas brought his arm up and knocked Dan's hand away from his chest. "Don't ever touch me again," Lucas warned, a dangerous glint growing in his eye.

Concerned about the growing animosity, Karen hastily interjected herself between the two men. "Okay, everyone needs to take a deep breath and calm down," she said, waiting for Dan and Lucas to stop glowering at each other. A figure appeared at the door to the kitchen, distracting her from her impending lecture.

Haley stared at the trio uneasily, realizing she'd interrupted something important. She had found Nathan outside the Café and insisted they go inside for something to eat. Now she was regretting his suggestion that they go to a movie instead. Glancing behind her, she noted that Nathan was watching the group with growing apprehension. "Uh, Karen? The delivery guy is in back. I think he needs for you to sign the invoices."

Karen nodded at the girl, pasting a smile on her face. As she walked by Nathan, her smiled warmed a bit. "You look nice, Nathan," she said, motioning toward his tux. He'd rushed from the party without going home to change. "Thanks," he muttered, still concerned by the tension in the dining room. Following Haley toward the counter, he offered a greeting to his father and half brother.

Dan withdrew a bit from Lucas, seeking distance from his earlier anger. "Son, I thought you were at the dance over at the club," Dan questioned, knowing it was much too earlier for the party to be over. He watched as Haley gathered some food from behind the counter, noting that his son was glued to her every movement.

Snapping out of his Haley trance, Nate turned back to his father. "It was boring, so I left early to see if Haley wanted to see a movie or something," he ventured, knowing that his every word was agitating his half brother.

"What? There weren't enough girls at the snob ball for you to lust after?" Lucas asked, knowing he was pushing the limits of polite conversation. But he was tired…of Dan of Nathan…of always being inferior to rest of his family. The last thing Lucas needed was seeing his best friend fall for his jerk of a brother.

Pushing himself away from the counter, Nate moved closer to Lucas. "No, actually I was spending time with your girlfriend, who was very upset. I guess you wouldn't know that fact because you are too busy being pissed at the world to care about anyone else." His words struck a chord with Lucas, but the older boy refused to show it.

He got up in Nathan's face. "Don't tell me about Brooke. I know more about her than you ever will," he retorted, angry that Nathan would lecture him about Brooke.

Dan watched the two boys exchange heated words a moment before injecting himself into their argument. "Stop fighting," he commanded, used to being listened to as an authority figure. He really did want peace between his sons. Instead of reaping the rewards of fatherhood he was harvesting the results of years of hatred.

Lucas turned toward the older man. He was growing more upset with each passing moment. Karen was still in back, leaving him surrounded by his enemies. "Shut the fuck up, Dan. No one asked you for your input." His words resulted in a deathly silence, as if time itself stood still. Dan stood there a moment in shock, realizing that no one had spoken to him that way since he was a kid. Dan was increasingly losing his tolerance toward his wayward son.

"Do not disrespect me like that," Dan said, his tone so low that the hair on the back of Nate's neck stood up. He'd never seen his father so angry, so…uncontrolled in his emotions.

Lucas snorted at Dan's words, not heeding the warning looks that Nathan was attempting to send him. He recklessly plunged forward, determined to speak his mind before his mother returned and started sugarcoating them both. "Whatcha going to do, Dan? Hound me and my mom into the grave like you did your wife?" he asked, bitterness seeping into each word he spat out. Dan took a step backward, as if physically struck. He sucked in a shallow breath, attempting to calm his anger. No one spoke of Deb in that kind of disparaging manner.

Nathan spared his father the trouble of forming a retort. "You leave my mother out of this," he shouted, even as he watched Haley's reaction to her friend's vicious words against his long dead mother. Haley dropped the plate of cookies she'd been carrying on the counter and moved toward Lucas. "Luke, you really need to leave before something bad happens," she cajoled, sensing that Dan and Nathan were beyond furious at the blond haired boy.

He turned his friend. "Why, Haley? We all know it was Dan's persistence that killed her. Why not just be honest about it?" he asked, seeing the impact his words had on the older man. Dan momentarily seemed to shrink in size under the assault of Luke's words. The room seemed shocked at the callousness of Luke's comments.

Dan finally spoke, in a calm, cold tone. "Why don't you just say it? Why don't you just accuse me of killing my wife because of my own greed? That I pushed Deb into having another baby when she didn't want one, and that I wasn't there for her when she was pregnant because I was at work all day and night?"

Dan's words stunned Nate, since he'd never really heard his father talk about his mom's death. And he NEVER spoke about Daniel. At that moment, Nate's heart went out to his father. Dan could be overbearing and pushy, but he didn't deserve to be called a murderer. His mother had died in childbirth and it wasn't anyone's fault. Haley's eyes met Nate's in sympathy as both realized they were watching a train wreck in progress.

Haley stared at the door to the kitchen and wondered what was taking Karen so long. Karen was always able to calm people down and they desperately needed that before Luke started something he couldn't finish with the older man.

Dan continued yelling at Lucas, eight years of displaced grief fueling his willingness to discuss the death of his wife and son. "Well don't think you can make me feel guilty because no one blames me more than myself. It's my fault that Deb and Daniel are dead."

Lucas stopped dead in his tracks, not thinking that Dan was capable of feeling anything even close to guilt and remorse. The realization that he'd accused his father of something that Dan himself had obviously felt responsible for killed any momentum that Lucas had built up.

Nathan walked slowly toward his dad, seeing the near tears that attempted to form in his dad's deep blue eyes. "It's not your fault, Dad. And mom would never want you to blame yourself or feel guilty for wanting another baby." He tried to reach out to his father, but Dan evaded his son's arm and turned away from the other people in the room.

"The truth is Nathan, that if I'd been a better father and husband your mother might not have had such a hard pregnancy and maybe they'd both have lived," he conjectured, not sure he fully understood what had gone wrong to this day.

"Some times pregnancies go badly, Dad. It wasn't anything you did to cause all the problems with the baby," Nathan said, wanting to relieve his father's pain. "I know you never talk about this, but you've got to stop feeling guilty for it. Mom wouldn't have wanted you to feel that way. And neither would Daniel." Part of Nathan was thankful that they were finally talking about that day so long ago. He'd wanted to discuss this since he was a kid but felt it was just too painful for his dad.

A snort from across the room disrupted their father and son bonding moment. They both turned toward Lucas, who had a look of incredulity on his face. "Sure, let's all feel sorry for Dan Scott, perfect father and model citizen." Haley reached out, attempting to restrain him. There was a particularly sullen look on her friend's face, one that she'd never quiet seen before. "Lucas, you need to stop…" she was cut off as Lucas shoved her hand off his arm.

He continued across the room, getting closer to where Nate and Dan stood. "Sure, let's all feel sorry for a guy who can only spare emotion and feeling for people who are dead and in the graveyard," he spat out, his voice rising in conjunction with his anger. "I don't know if it's sad or pathetic that you've shown more love to your dead son than you've ever given me."

The room was stunned into silence, the only sound coming from the hum of the industrial strength refrigerator in the back room and Dan's breathing, which had become particularly labored under his oldest son's latest verbal assault. Haley watched the anger spread across Dan's face and was worried. Lucas had crossed a line with the older man, and Dan wasn't about to back down. Dan slowly began stalking across the Café's main room, closing the distance between he and his son. Lucas stood his ground, meeting Dan toe to toe.

Dan seemed to tower over Lucas in that moment, his fury adding to his larger frame. "If you are smart, you won't ever bring up my son again," Dan carefully said, wanting nothing more than to flat out hit the kid. As much as that would quell his growing anger, that single action would destroy his fragile relationship with Karen and any attempt to build a family. No amount of satisfaction was worth that. And more than likely, that was Luke's main goal, to goad Dan into something so hideous that Karen would once again banish him from their lives.

Lucas smirked at him, satisfied that he'd finally found the one chink in Dan's emotional armor. "What? You don't want everyone to know about all the time you spend at their grave sites talking to their tombstones?" He was recklessly ignoring the danger signs that Dan was giving off like a neon sign in the dark. He'd once followed Dan to the cemetery, interested to know why he was on the poor side of town. He'd stayed hidden behind a huge oak tree, watching his father spend time with his dead family.

"Why not tell everyone? I mean, you've already humiliated me my entire life. Why not tell everyone that you mourn a son that's been dead for his entire life but haven't given me a second thought?" Luke's fury had been building for 16 years and he finally felt free unleashing his anger toward his father. The pain of his life long rejection had an outlet and for once he wasn't going to avoid confronting the man responsible for leaving him to grow up feeling worthless.

Dan remained motionless, oblivious to Nathan's attempts to get in between them, Lucas being the sole focus of his attention. His hand unconsciously curled into a fist, itching to knock the smirk off Luke's face. The action didn't go unnoticed. Haley grabbed Luke's arm, once again attempting to drag him away. Luke gently pushed her aside, inching even closer to Dan. Nathan shook his head, sad that it had come down to this. He ignored the cell phone that continually vibrated in his tux jacket. At that moment in time, nothing was more important to him than protecting his father.

Haley understood her friend's anger but was disgusted by Luke's cruel words and aggressive behavior. She alone could hear the jealously, pain and hurt that lingered behind his words. Luke couldn't see his cruelty because he was too lost in his own pain, a pain that was amplified by the knowledge that his own father didn't love him.

"Last warning, Lucas," Dan said, wanting to give the boy every opportunity to back down. Lucas ignored his warnings yet again. "At least the kid didn't live to see what a sucky father you are," he taunted, before a voice stopped him from continuing.

"Lucas," Karen's voice rose out of the back room of the Café. In all the tension surrounding their fight, no one had noticed her standing in the doorway to the kitchen. She's spent the last five minutes listening to her son assault his father with cruel and vicious reminders of his first wife and their little boy. She slowly walked into the room, nearly sick to her stomach from the barrage of hatred in Luke's words.

Sighing, Dan unclenched his fist; grateful that Karen's voice had stopped him from hitting their son. He didn't know if he could have stopped himself without her presence. Luke stared his mother in the eye, not caring if she heard what he said. He'd spent his entire life being battered by Dan's indifference and cruel comments. Where had she been then? Her little speeches of rising above it seemed kind of moot now that his father was invading his life and his family. There was no place to rise above it to. He felt backed into a corner for the first time in his life.

"How could you be so cruel? I know I raised you better than to attack someone using their weakest spots. God, Luke, when did you become so sadistic and uncaring?" she asked, truly confused by where her shy little boy had gone the past few months. Dan took advantage of her moving between them and walked off to a corner for a moment, trying to gather his reserves. Nathan walked up behind him and tentatively placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay, Dad?" His phone went off again, distracting Nate somewhat from his father's pain. He didn't want to check the caller id on the phone and ignore his father, who was literally shaking from the confrontation with Luke.

Taking one last deep breath, Dan turned to face his son. "I've been better. I'm glad Karen walked in when she did, or I don't know what I might have done," he unevenly admitted, not wanting to envision taking a swing at his own child. Nathan looked uncertain, before Dan reached out and mussed his hair. "I have to get out of here." He felt horrible for leaving Karen to deal with Lucas, but at that moment he was suffocating on his own grief and pain. Dan gave Karen a distraught look before walking slowly out of the Café.

His phone vibrated again, so Nathan finally grabbed it from his pocket and answered it in an annoyed tone. "What is it?"

Ignoring the argument that was growing between Karen and her son, Nate's face grew serious at the voice on the other end of the phone. "Brooke….I can't understand you," he yelled, drawing the attention of the room. Nathan's face grew tight with tension as he heard screaming in the back ground of the cell. Brooke was obviously panicked and in trouble, but he couldn't make out a single word she was saying. "Brooke…where are you at?" he asked, his own concern rising with each moment that passed.

Lucas ignored his mother's scathing lecture and moved closer to Nathan. "What's going on with Brooke?" he asked, scared by his brother's reaction. Looking over at Luke, Nathan closed the phone, shaken by what he'd heard. "The connection dropped. I think something is seriously wrong."

Luke's stomach dropped in fear, knowing that very little in life could shake Brooke Davis. "What did she say?" Nathan shook his head, realizing that he had to go find his friend. He headed toward the door but was stopped by Lucas who grabbed his arm and spun him around. "What is going on?" The room was confused by Nathan's actions.

"I don't know she was screaming something and then I heard some guy tell her to hang up," he explained, watching as Karen and Haley's faces frowned at his words. "She's supposed to be at that stupid deb ball," Lucas shouted, thrown off balance by his girlfriend's situation. How could she be in trouble when she was at some party with the richest people in town?

"I don't know what's wrong, I left her at the party an hour ago and she was fine," Nate said, moving toward the door. Lucas followed him, ignoring Karen's orders to stay where he was. "Mom, can it. You can yell at me later, but I'm going to find Brooke." He ran to catch up with Nate, ignoring everything else. At that moment, he didn't care about Dan or his mother.

* * *

I should have a poll to see which character is the most annoying right now. Luke was pretty horrible, but some would say it's 16 years past due. Next up, Brooke finds some trouble and someone cues the Barry White music. Yes, I'm sure no one's old enough to get the reference but me! Thanks for reading and replying!


	45. Chapter 45

Warning: this chapter contains some sexual situations and is fairly intense.

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 45

* * *

Brooke sullenly followed her "family" into the grand foyer of the house. Gripping her cell phone in her small hand, she cursed the drained battery and her inability to finish her earlier call to Nate. All she needed was a ride home from the dance to avoid her current situation. Her mother had dragged her from the dance to her step-father's Mercedes, gripping her arm so tightly that she'd broken the skin on Brooke's arm with her nails. She absently wrapped her thin arms around her torso, not sure if she was fighting off the coldness of her home or trying to cover up the tiny red slip of a dress she wore.

Katherine tossed her Ferragoma purse on the marble table in the center of the room and turned on her daughter, a maelstrom unleashed. "You have destroyed the reputation of this family," she hissed, pointing a manicured but shaking finger at her daughter. Brooke rolled her eyes at the theatrics of the woman's hysterics.

Her step brother smirked at that comment, knowing that Brooke's mother and his mother were so much alike. They were obsessed with image and had no problems shipping a kid off when they threatened the facade that they had worked hard to create. It was all just a grand illusion that these women invented and forced their kids to carry.

Brooke took a shaky breath, watching as Trey poured himself a strong shot of bourbon. She panicked for a moment, wondering why the two Valium she'd taken an hour ago weren't having their usual numbing effect. She envied that shot of bourbon, knowing that a bit of booze always made the pills work better. Hearing her mother's continued carping, she attempted to make her way toward the stairs, hoping for an easy escape.

Her mother continued her rant, her voice picking up in volume. "How will I ever go to the club again? What will I do all day now that you've humiliated me in front of all my peers?" Katherine slumped against the Louis VXI table that adorned the foray.

Leaning against the banister of the ornate stairway, Brooke scoffed at her mom's words. "What could you do all day? How about getting a job, volunteering someplace or spending your time doing something more constructive than getting botox every week?" Again, Brooke was shocked by how empty and bereft of meaning her mom's life was. It was a path she herself had been treading until the night of her mom's wedding. She was jolted of her reverie by the force of her mom's hand slamming across her cheek.

"You ungrateful, little bitch," Katherine hissed, oblivious to her husband's attempt to pull her away from her child. Her tirade continued even as Brooke pulled away, cradling her hand to her swelling check. "You are lucky that you even have a place to live. No one wants you, not your father and certainly not me," she screamed, loosing the pent up frustration and resentment she'd gathered over the years.

Brooke's eyes watered involuntarily. She knew she wasn't the most loved child in the world but it hurt hearing her mom say those very words to her face. She attempted to refute her mom's vicious words. "Daddy…" She was instantly cut off.

"Your father could care a less about you. Why do you think he hasn't invited you down to his new house since he's been married?" she taunted, getting up in Brooke's face. "You are just a burden to him, someone that the court forces him to write a child support check for once a month. Neither of us wanted custody of you, but I ended up losing that battle."

Her lower lip quivered, but Brooke's eyes hardened at her mother's crass words. "Trust me; you've made that pretty clear over the years. I've seen mother cats that were more maternal than you," she said. "I'm surprised that your ovaries didn't shrivel up at birth," she snarked, ignoring J.J.'s apparent glee at the growing cat fight. He'd fought these same battles with his own bitchy mother before being shipped off to school. Regardless of the trite argument, he enjoyed watching the hot girl in the tiny red dress in front of him.

Katherine fought the urge to shake the dark haired girl in front of her. It was beyond time that she sent the girl away. "You are the worst mistake I ever made, outside of marrying your worthless father," Katherine calmly stated. "I spent nine miserable months fat and pregnant with you and you didn't even have the decency to be a boy. What good are you if you can't carry the stupid Davis name?"

Brooke stared around at her "family," eyes wide and speechless. "You wouldn't have loved me if I were a son, so why does it matter?" she asked, confused at her mother's latest rant.

Sighing, Katherine decided to spell it out for the slow girl in front of her. "I didn't want to marry your stupid father, but my parents made me do it in order to consolidate the family money. All I had to do to get rid of him was give him a stupid son, so that his family name would continue on for the fifth generation," Katherine explained to her daughter. "But you had to be a girl, a worthless girl. And I had to spend endless, agonizing years trying to conceive a stupid heir to continue the family line."

Brooke had never heard this particular complaint before and was as fascinated by her mother's words as she was repulsed. Knowing her grandparent's determination to keep the business under the family's control, she didn't doubt that they had pressured her mother to have a boy. Their family had definite views on the value of women and placed a strong value on the saying that women should be seen and not heard. The primary function of all her female ancestors appeared to be shopping and redecorating. Her mother was just another household object, like an antique vase set out to be admired. Pretty, but pointless. Brooke wanted to feel sorry for her mother, realizing that she'd spent most of her life trapped in a real life doll house, without any kind of purpose.

She wanted to feel some kind of empathy for her mother, but she couldn't. "It's not my fault you married a man you didn't love for money. You'd still be a miserable human being even if I had been a boy," she calmly said before walking up the stairs. If they had expected her to scream or cry, they were wrong. Brooke refused to show them any more weakness than she already had. It was better to be numb. And if she could just get to the relative safety of her room, then she could deepen that numbness and avoid the pain that seemed to encompass her life.

Her mother stared at her indifferently. "I should have drowned you at birth," she commented, before walking off toward her study.

The remaining people stared at Brooke as she slowly turned and disappeared up the marble steps. J.J. watched his father follow her, attempting to placate her with soothing words. He made sure they were distracted before moving silently up the stairs.

* * *

Nathan pulled up to the front of the country club, hesitating when he didn't see any sign of Brooke. Lucas scanned the entryway, and then turned toward the other boy in confusion. "How do we know where she is?" he asked, not familiar with the hallowed ground of the country club. It wasn't as if they let people like Lucas on the grounds for any reason. He'd only been allowed in to look for Brooke because he was with Nathan, a full fledge member.

Confused, Nathan bit his lower lip and considered what the best course of action was. "I'll check out the parking lot and you go check the ballroom to see if she's there." Lucas silently slide out of the SUV and headed for the columned entryway of the club. Nathan made a few circles around the parking areas, racking his brain for any place that Brooke might be. After a few minutes, he gave up, realizing that he'd not seen any of the Davis/Herrington cars in the lot.

Nathan waited for Lucas to return, pondering the events of the night. He'd never seen his father so upset. Lucas had a special talent for finding what little vulnerability Dan Scott had and exploiting it to the fullest. He grabbed his cell phone and tried his dad's cell for the 10th time. The call went straight to voice mail, denying him the chance to check up on his old man. Similar calls to his house and the beach house went unanswered. Staring down at his phone, he made a quick decision.

"Karen's Cafe," a voice greeted him.

"Karen?" he uncertainly asked, used to Haley's voice at the other end of the connection. 'It's Nathan," he clarified as the silence on the other end grew longer.

Karen snapped back to reality, still shaken by her son's behavior earlier that night. "I'm sorry, Nate but Haley's already left for the night," she explained, assuming the boy had called for her best employee.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you," he said, taking the initiative before his nerve failed him or Lucas came back to the car. After all, he barely knew the woman and all she knew of him was that he treated her son poorly at school. "I'm really worried about my dad."

Karen leaned against the wall next to the phone and sighed. Dan's defeated attitude had worried her too. He wasn't the type of guy to just give up and walk away, which was precisely what he'd done that night after his fight with Lucas. "I think he'll be okay, Nathan. He just needs some time to calm down." Her words had a certain hollow quality to them, as if she didn't believe them.

"I'm really worried, Karen. I've tried calling him on his cell and at home. I drove by the house on the way to find Brooke and I didn't see his car. I hate to ask but is there anyway you could maybe drop by the beach house and check up on him?" he asked, the concern in his voice unmistakable.

Karen hesitated, not really wanting to get more involved with Dan's angst than she already was. But it was hard for her to hear a child express such concern for a parent and to ignore it. "I can stop by on my way home and see if he's okay," she finally conceded, realizing that it would cost her little and would make a world of difference to the boy.

Seeing Lucas heading for his truck, Nathan rushed to get off the phone. "Thanks, Karen I really appreciate it." He quickly hung up and dropped his phone back to the dash as his half brother opened the door.

"She's no where to be found. But that fluffy blond chick in our English class said she saw Brooke being dragged out the door by her mom. I guess they took her home," he filled in, watching as Nathan nodded in agreement with his assessment.

"But that doesn't explain the frantic tone in her voice," he said, completely confused by the night's events. "I think we need to go to her house and see if she's okay." He waited for Lucas to put on his seatbelt, before driving off toward the direction of Brooke's house.

* * *

Lucas walked up to Brooke's bright red door, trepidation written all over his face. The last time he'd been there was a nightmare and he couldn't imagine this night being any different. It was a rare person that could make him feel like trash, but Brooke's mother excelled at making him feel lower than slime.

Walking up behind his brother, Nathan leaned around where he stood like a statue in front of the door and rang the bell. "What are you waiting for?" he asked, not liking the look on the older boy's face.

Lucas shifted his feet uneasily as they heard someone making their way toward the door. Katherine, annoyed by her maid taking a night off, yanked the door open and stared out at the lanky boys who darkened her doorstep. "What do you want?" she brusquely asked.

Luke's mouth went dry at her tone, knowing that he'd be lucky to get off her property alive. Nathan realized that Lucas wasn't going to say anything so he moved in front of the boy and smiled at Mrs. Davis-Herrington. "We wanted to check up on Brooke, Ma'am," he politely stated, using his best suck up voice. The ice queen didn't melt or move backward to let them inside.

Trey Herrington moved up behind his wife, wondering who would call so late at night. Seeing the impasse at the door, he tapped his wife on the shoulder and motioned the boy's inside. "Nathan, it's nice to see you again!" he greeted, glossing over the other boy who stood close to his side. "I played a spectacular round of golf with your father a few days ago. You'll have to come with us next time we play," Trey confidently said.

Nathan nodded politely, finding golf to be as much of a sport as figure skating, but too polite to dis a game his father's generation valued. "I'm sorry to interrupt so late at night but I got a disturbing call from Brooke and we were both concerned," he said motioning toward his still silent half brother. Nate wasn't sure what his problem was, but he'd never see Lucas so unsure of himself.

Seeing the apprehension on their faces, Lucas immediately tensed up at their reaction. Lucas finally found his voice. "We just wanted to make sure that Brooke was safe and at home," he said, doing his best not to be intimidated by the cold woman in front of him. It had taken Lucas a while to realize that the reason he disliked her was due to the fact that only she and Dan could belittle him so effectively. They were both experts at reducing a person to nothing with a few dismissive comments.

She turned toward the blond boy as he spoke. "I wasn't aware that it was any of your business what happens to my daughter. Did I not ask you to stay away from her?" she imperiously asked Lucas.

He straightened shoulders and faced her toe to toe, trying to keep an even keel to his voice. "Yes, you did tell me to stay away from her, but seeing how we don't know if she's dead in an ally, we thought you might be concerned."

Katherine's face remained impassive. "I don't want you near my daughter. She's been in trouble since she's begun associating with you and I don't like the influence you have over my daughter," she clearly outlined. "And as for her behavior tonight, I totally hold you responsible."

Nathan shot Lucas a confused glance, wondering why Katherine blamed Lucas for anything Brooke choice to do. Anyone could see his friend was chaffing under the socially restrictive role her mother had placed her in.

Before Nathan could intercede on his brother's behalf, Katherine continued her tirade. "I have never seen Brooke so defiant and out of control. She's probably picked up those traits from you and your white trash friends," the older woman spewed, ignoring the incredulous look on Nathan's face. He wasn't sure what shocked him more: the viciousness of her attack or the lack of reaction from his brother.

"Has anyone even seen Brooke?" Nathan suddenly injected, doing his best to get this bitch off his brother's back. His words were met with silence.

* * *

Brooke fumbled through the built in drawers in her walk in closet, desperately searching for the bottle of whiskey she'd taken out of her step father's office last week. She panicked for a moment, realizing that what little buzz she had was wearing off. She ransacked drawer after drawer looking for something to kill her pain, desperate for anything to block out her sadness. 15 minutes and 6 shots later, she lay back on her bed, confident that the night would soon be a giant blur. Sniffing, she finally let a tear drop at her mother's vicious words. She hadn't asked to be born and if given a choice she'd have certainly picked better parents. As high strung as Karen was, she at least cared for her son. Even Dan was a decent parent. As was, Brooke had two biological parents that couldn't care less if she dropped dead at their feet. They'd probably be relieved, she reasoned.

A noise at the door caught her attention, and she forced her eyes to focus for a moment. The door swung open and J.J. traipsed in, casually locking the door behind him. A flicker of fear shuddered through her body, a sense of familiarity that automatically registered in her drug and alcohol clouded mind.

"What do you want?" she abruptly asked, not wanting him anywhere near her room. Brooke's chest grew tighter, the sense of panic more acute as he slowly made his way to where she sat on the bed. "I want you to leave NOW," she insisted, hoping that the sharp tone of her voice conveyed strength she didn't feel. It was like that night all over again, where she let him violate her without so much as a whimper.

"Now Brookie, why would you want me to leave?" he asked, running his hand up her tone, tanned leg. He appreciated how great the short, red dress looked on her lithe body even as she shoved his aggressive hand away. He ran a finger over her lips, admiring the succulent girl in front of him.

Taking a deep breath, she fought to calm the terror that was rising inside her due to his roving hands. Part of her was a terrified little girl, incapable of fighting him off, while the other side of her was determined to fight him all the way. "Get the fuck off me!" she shouted, biting down on his finger as hard as she could.

J.J. reeled back for a moment in pain before reaching out and hitting her across her cheekbone. Brooke gasped, his touch much harder than the slapped her mother had given her minutes ago. "Don't bite me again, Brookie, or I might get rough," he warned, suddenly reaching out and ripping off one of the spaghetti straps of her dress. He sat back and admired her exposed chest for a moment. Noting the distraction, Brooke extended her foot and kicked him in his stomach, running for the door as he fell off the side of the bed. She maneuvered around the large vase near her door as she fumbled with the knob with hands that were shaking so hard they could barely work it.

She sensed J.J. moving up behind her, but she managed to push the door open enough to start screaming. "Helpppppppppppppppp!" she screamed as loud as her cheerleader lungs would allow. J.J yanked her body away from the door, knocking over the vase that sat there. He grabbed Brooke by the back of her hair and dragged her, kicking and screaming toward the bed.

* * *

Karen walked up the deck toward the beach house, taking in the beautiful vistas of the ocean before her. The air was so clean, a combination of salty air and the hope of unlimited horizons. Oh, Karen loved the ocean. She'd spent most of her early days on this beach, staring at this same vista. That Dan had managed to procure the most expensive house on what she considered to be "her" beach was nothing less than ironic.

Reluctantly, she left the ocean behind her and made her way toward one of the glass lined walls of the massive structure. Surely there had to be a door someplace, she wondered. After a while she found the main entrance and slowly made her way through the impressive beach house. Only Dan Scott could manage to interweave rich colors with a causal set of furnishings. It was like a beach version of his office at the dealership.

"Hello," she called out, a bit uneasy at walking through someone else's house. A noise from the next room drew her attention and she cautiously made her way to what looked like a family room. Her tentative smiled vanished completely when she saw Dan slumped on the sofa in front of her, the coffee table littered with bottles of alcohol.

"God, don't give me that look, Kar," he moaned, seeing the same reaction when she found out their son was drinking. "I'm an adult and if I want to get smashed, it's my business." Dan unscrewed a bottle of whiskey and proceeded to drink it straight from the bottle. He'd lost any interest in shot glasses hours ago. He was the first to admit that he didn't handle emotional stuff well. And the confrontation with his oldest son had practically driven him to seek liquid relief. It was a one of the few crutches that Dan had and he gladly wallowed in it.

She sank down onto the plush couch next to him. "It's also Nathan's business," she said. "He called me earlier and asked me to check up on you, since he knew you were off drinking yourself into oblivion," she explained, rolling her eyes as he downed some more booze.

"Great. I've now become a loser in both my son's eyes," he said. "I mean the two sons that are alive."

Karen heard the despair in his voice. She of all people understood Dan's tendencies to internalize his feelings. It was one of the traits he'd inherited from Royal. "Dan, you didn't kill Deb or Daniel. Lucas used that because it's the most personal weapon he has in his arsenal against you."

He looked over at her with a look akin to faint amusement. "And whose fault is it that he doesn't know anything else about me?" he asked, knowing that he'd alienated his son from birth. "And let's face it, getting personal in order to hurt someone is just an inherited trait."

She laughed at his self-deprecation. "Okay, so you can be a mean spirited prick," she conceded. "But Lucas was totally out of line tonight and he's going to be 30 before he's ungrounded."

Dan shook his head at her words. "Don't ground him, Kar. He's just a kid who's messed up. I feel guilty enough without you killing his social life."

"I think drinking makes you mellow, Mr. Scott," she joked, noticing the difference between a drunken teen Dan and the man who sat next to her. As mad as she was at Lucas, she mostly blamed herself. She hadn't realized just how much anger and isolation she'd foisted on her son.

Sitting up, Dan found the long forgotten shot glass and poured her a shot. "Try a dose of my mellowness," he challenged, offering her the small glass of liquid. Dan knew she had issues with alcohol but he also understood the nature of the problem. "Come on, Karen. You aren't going to end up an alcoholic like your parents." He'd seen her take a few drinks when they were kids, but the fear of her parent's disease loomed over most of her life.

"I don't have to prove anything to you regarding booze," she stated. "Besides, you just want to get me drunk so you don't have to worry about what you say or do."

He raised an eyebrow at her as he took another swig directly from the bottle. "No, I want you to drink so you can experience the delightful bliss that comes with being totally drunk." It was a temporary fix, he knew. But who was he to bash his only coping mechanism?

Reaching out, she took the proffered glass and proceeded to drain it. "Does that work for you?" she asked, a smile crossing her face at the look of shock he gave her.

He promptly poured her another shot, before leaning back on the couch next to her. "Yeah, that works."

* * *

Nathan and Lucas stood in the grand entryway of Brooke's house staring at her mother and stepfather in suspicion. No one had yet answered Nate's question about Brooke's whereabouts. Lucas slowly approached Katherine, intent on getting some answers, when a loud crash followed by a scream floated down the grand staircase.

Staring over at his brother, Nathan was a picture of concern. "That's Brooke," he needlessly explained to Lucas, who was already climbing the stairs in search of his girlfriend.

* * *

Evil place to end a chapter. I'm fairly certain that the Anti-Karen League just got a lot bigger but I like parental drama.

Replies are always appreciated. Thanks for the great, long comments for last chapter. I have such passionate readers!


	46. Chapter 46

This chapter contains sexual situations that younger readers may want to avoid, unless you regularly watch the CW. Then it will just be another Monday night of TV.

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 46

* * *

Without a backward glance toward Brooke's parents, Lucas and Nathan raced up the stairs. Having never been beyond the entryway of the house, Lucas followed Nathan's lead down the cold marble floors toward a suite at the end of the second floor.

Brooke's reticent reaction toward his advances did little to quell J.J.'s ardor. "Come on Brookie, it'll be as great as it was last time," he whispered, running his tongue down her exposed chest. Not happy with the damaged he'd done a moment ago, he ripped the rest of the bodice of her dress down, fully exposing the girl's breasts to his greedy eyes.

Not willing to give up, Brooke continued fighting against him, not wanting to be a passive victim again. "I didn't want this last time either, you sleaze," she screamed at him, using her nails to claw any body part she could reach. Levering his much larger frame against hers, he forced her arms down from his body, effectively trapping her underneath him.

Nathan paused outside a set of double doors, waiting for Lucas to catch up. Hearing some kind of struggle within the room, Nathan tugged on the door, only to find it locked. Panicking, he turned toward Lucas, a look of panic clearly etched on his face. "It's locked." Those words sunk part of Luke's heart, fearing the situation was rapidly growing out of control. Giving his brother a raised eyebrow, Lucas squared his shoulder and began ramming the door. Three rams later the door separated from the frame and the boys rushed into the room.

Across the room, Brooke lay under her step-brother, futilely struggling under the much larger boy. Hearing the noise at what was formerly her door, she sighed at the sight of her two saviors. J.J. looked over at her friends and snorted at their interruption. "Sorry guys, but we're a bit busy here, so maybe you'll come back later and we'll have some group fun with Brookie," he leered. His order given, he immediately turned his attention back toward Brooke, already turned on by the way her body struggled against him.

Shocked at the scene in front of him, Nathan took in Brooke's torn dress and bruised face for a moment before he stalked across the black and white marble floor toward her step-brother. Lucas managed to squeeze past Nathan and got to J.J. first, hauling him off of Brooke and dragging him across the room. Nathan pulled the boy up by his hair, growing angrier with each passing moment. He slammed his fist against the J.J.'s face for a moment, before moving back so that his brother could land a vicious blow to creep's stomach. A shaken Brooke watched from her bed as the Scott Brothers took turns working the lowlife over, each swing and punch designed to exert maxim pain.

"What in god's name is going on in here," Katherine called out, stepping over the broken shards of the shattered vase and into her daughter's room. Trey moved to his son's side, concerned that the boy needed to see a doctor. Katherine looked at the Scott Brother's bloodied hands and immediately understood the situation. "I'm calling the police. You two mongrels come into my home and dare attack my stepson without provocation." Her voice was haughty and imperious, leaving Lucas to wonder if Brooke inherited everything from her dad's side of the family.

Lucas stared at the woman as if snakes were growing out of her head. "No provocation? He attacked your daughter," Lucas pointed at the shaking and nearly naked Brooke cowering on her bed. He couldn't bring himself to use the "R" word. "Does someone have to draw a picture for you to understand what was going on in here?" Lucas asked, his tone shaking and barely under control. He desperately wanted to rush over to Brooke and hold her, but the look in her parent's eyes prevented him from doing just that.

"What I see is two boys who were uninvited guests rush up stairs and start a brawl in my daughter's bedroom. I'm sure the police will appreciate that you both need to be arrested for attacking my step-son," she explained to them as if they were dense. J.J. looked over Lucas and Nathan and smirked. He rarely if ever got blamed for anything he'd ever done in his life. He didn't expect this situation to be different. Being rich certainly had its advantages, he thought.

Nathan walked away from J.J. hoping that the distance would prevent him from destroying the sleaze bag who'd just tried to attack his friend. He walked directly up to Trey and got in his face. "Your boy here was about 2 minutes away from raping Brooke." Brooke shrunk at the sound of that word, he noticed. She was shrinking in size sitting on that bed in her torn dress.

Katherine scoffed at his words. "My stepson is a very popular, handsome young man. He can have any female he wants based on his charm and his social standing," Katherine patiently explained to Nathan. "He wouldn't have to rough a girl up to get that."

Nathan physically turned the woman toward where Brooke sat, still huddled on the bed, her torn clothes clutched to her chest. Katherine waved a dismissive hand toward her daughter. "She's always been a bit of a tart, dear. She gets these boys all excited in those slutty clothes she wears and then she expects them to just let her go home without getting what she's offered all night?" Brooke's face fell at her mother's description of her. She knew that the woman wasn't fond of her, but she'd never openly called her a slut before. Another little part of Brooke's soul shriveled at the woman's harsh evaluation. All she'd ever really wanted was someone to love her and care for her in her parent's absence. And she'd been disappointed with nearly every guy she'd attempted to trust.

Lucas stood shell shocked at this woman's complete dismissal of what she had just seen. "This wasn't a date that was upset that Brooke didn't put out. This is a step-brother that you've brought into her home. You find him attacking your daughter and it's HER fault that he's ripping her clothes off and beating her up?" Lucas was incensed at this woman's priorities. She hadn't once asked Brooke if she was alright or if she needed some help or perhaps a robe to cover her nearly naked body.

Katherine gave her husband a small look and glowered at the Scott boys. "I know my daughter is a promiscuous whore. I also know there's nothing I can do to stop her atrocious behavior." Lucas looked at Nathan for a moment, realizing that Dan wasn't the most evil parent in Tree Hill. He knew that Brooke had family issues but nothing in his life had prepared him for this kind of spite and hatred.

Katherine continued her tirade. "I won't have you two mongrels come into my home and cause this much disruption or to cast aspersions on my lovely step son. So, you have five minutes to get out of my home and away from my daughter before I have the neighborhood security team arrest you."

Lucas shrugged his shoulders, not knowing if a security force could actually arrest anyone. Before he could react Nathan pulled Lucas toward him and moved to where Brooke shivered on the bed. "We have to get out of here…she's totally going to try to get us arrested for assaulting Brooke and beating up J.J." Nathan knew enough about this woman to know that she'd be more than happy to see Lucas get in trouble for something he didn't do. And after tonight, he wasn't sure that Dan would pay a single lawyer's bill to help out his oldest son.

"I'm not leaving her here," Lucas declared, knowing that they'd have to drag him away from Brooke before he willingly left. He wasn't sure what had gotten into Nathan or why he was so willing to leave his friend alone with these violent people. He reached out and hesitantly touched her shoulder. Brooke jerked back a moment, before realizing that Lucas was her friend…she could trust Lucas.

Trey's voice boomed across the room. "You have two minutes to leave," he shouted, desperately trying to diffuse the situation in front of him. He handed his son a handkerchief from his pocket and motioned him out of the room. It wouldn't do to have the police show up and see his son in that condition.

Nathan leaned back toward Brooke and gave her a hug, whispering words in her ear and then got off the bed and pulled his brother after him. Lucas yanked his arm away and started walking his way back toward his girlfriend. "Lucas, don't. Just trust me, okay?" Nate earnestly asked, hoping that for once his brother could see he had a plan. Nate dragged Lucas out of the doorway and down the stairs. Lucas shrugged off the other boy's arm as soon as they reached the doorway. "You'd better be right about this or I'm going to kill you, Nate."

* * *

Karen leaned back into the couch and stretched, gently loosening the muscles that had cramped up as a result of the night's arguments. She looked over at Dan and smiled a moment, before handing him a bottle of water she'd retrieve earlier.

He rolled his eyes at her interrupting his "booze will fix it all" ritual. "I can't believe you stopped after a single shot," he muttered, knowing that Karen had more self control than any human being on the planet. "I saw you stumble when you went to get the water," he said, catching that she was at least a bit affected by the shot. A chink in Karen's nearly perfect armor.

"Dan, one drink doesn't have to lead to a second drink," she pointed out, having learned that her parents weren't the model of how to consume alcohol. She just had more control than to give in to the idea that booze fixed anything. "I do feel less tense though. I think that shot really helped me calm down a bit." Lucas had completely used every single rational cell she possessed and she was now functioning on pure feeling.

He stood up and swayed a moment, calling on his inner discipline for balance. He wasn't totally wasted, as Karen had distracted him from the rest of the bottle by talking the past few hours away. However, he felt lightness in his soul that he couldn't attribute to alcohol. He watched as she walked over to the glass wall and studied the crashing waves. She'd always been lured and lulled by the ocean.

She felt Dan walk up behind her. She pointed to the waves, barely visible in the full moon light. "The waves are relentless but beautiful." It was a strange comment to make, but one that pretty much summed up her life.

Dan moved up closer behind her, sliding his arms around her. "Not as beautiful as you," he murmured into her ear, fighting the urge to nuzzle his way down the line of her lovely neck. Karen's nerves stood on end, immediately growing hot as his breath crossed her ear. Angling her head to the side, she allowed him access to her body.

Dan couldn't resist, lowering his lips to her sweet skin, tracing a line down to her shoulder blade with his seeking mouth. "You haven't changed a bit since we were kids," he admitted, thinking she'd only grown hotter with time, her curves filling out in all the right places.

Karen fell back into his hard body, wanting to feel him next to her. "I'd say I've changed some," she whispered, before brazenly taking his hands and wrapping them around her body, leading them toward the bodice of her shirt. He smiled at her boldness, realizing that they were both adults now, so very different from the tentative kids they used to be. His hands followed her lead, roving over her breasts for a few moments.

Not nearly satisfied, Dan spun her around to face him, kissing her hard and fully on the mouth. This wasn't a tentative kiss, like they'd shared at the Café, but rather a kiss that signified a lot more than old flames reconnecting. Karen grew lightheaded a moment from his touch. Dan pushed her up against the glass panel, not wanting to lose any of the momentum they'd built up the past few weeks. He felt at peace her in her arms. There was a feeling of lust wrapped around contentment that he'd not felt in years.

After moments of breathless kissing, Dan pulled her lithe form up against him, easily managing her weight with a single well muscled arm. "I've missed this," he admits, not sure if he meant kissing in general or Karen specifically.

He felt her legs move up around his waist and he groaned, remembering the long summer nights when they had on considerably less clothing in the same position. He stumbled over his words, as her lips nibbled on his neck. "We're drunk. I should, uh, I need to get you home," he stuttered, knowing that he lied. He didn't want her to leave and he certainly didn't want to spend the night alone.

Karen's lips found her way back to his mouth. "I'm not drunk and I don't want to go home," she confidently stated. She'd been lying to herself for years. A huge part of her had never really gotten over Dan. And that same part was telling her to take a risk, to stay and see what happened.

"I don't want this to end." His words were short and concise, but managed to convey a vulnerability that tugged at Karen's heart.

Karen ran a hand tenderly over his check, buzzed on the moment and the feelings coursing through her body. "Then don't end it," she replied, smiling at the lecherous look that crossed his face. He pulled her body up in to her arms and carried her up the stairs.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Deep breaths. . . I know. Old people sex. EWWWWWW. Who'd thought that they'd get action before Luke and Brooke? And thanks for all the PM's that reminded me that on the show Brooke's mom is Victoria. See, I started writing this show before 8 tracks were obsolete and I decided to keep it the way I'd written it, for fear of an incomplete "replace" in word.

Reviews are always appreciated. Surely to god Karen is not on everyone's hate list now. There are so many other candidates.

See you next week. I sure I hope I finish this story before you all have to wait months on end for an update.


	47. Chapter 47

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 47

* * *

Silence encroached on the house, the sound being more oppressive than her family's cold words. Shaking, Brooke finally stood up and made her way slowly to her closet. The valium and booze she'd taken earlier was still in her system, making the short trek to her massive walk in closet even more arduous. Wrapping her arms around what remained of her little red dress, she leaned against the door jam for support, knowing that she only had a limited amount of time. Giving up pretenses, Brooke slumped against her built in shoe racks as her chest heaved a few panicked breaths. Nate had given her precise instructions and she didn't want to be responsible for getting him in more trouble than he was already in. Knowing her mother, she'd already called Dan Scott about his sons' behavior.

Gaining strength, Brooke grabbed a random hoodie off a shelf, pulling the snug garment over the tattered remains of her red dress. Looking around, she grabbed a bottle of pills and her small, engraved silver flask from a drawer and stuffed them into the pockets of her black hoodie. Moving past the shattered remains of her bedroom doors, Brooke silently padded out into the hall, heading for the back stairs that led to the kitchen. Making sure she stepped lightly to avoid the creaky parts of the wooden staircase, she moved quickly toward the landing in the back of the house. This was strictly the servants' part of the house, a place where the family never ventured. Peaking around the corner, Brooke quickly moved through the large kitchen and out the back door. She walked through the shadows, across the yard and toward the waiting black SUV.

* * *

Nate pulled his SVU around the corner of Brooke's house, killing the engine so that the car blended in with the night. The silence grew on his companion. "Can you tell me why the hell we left Brooke back there?" Lucas asked, completely unhinged by the state he'd found his girlfriend in. He'd listened to her talk about how bad her home life was but he'd never dreamed it was verging on physical violence. Or maybe Luke had been so ensconced in his own family drama that he'd not really listened to Brooke's words about her home life. If he'd just paid more attention, Luke thought . . .

"We left her there because we were about to be arrested," Nathan patiently explained, his own emotions barely in control. He'd spent so much time focused on Brooke's stepfather that he'd not even considered that someone her age was hurting his friend. Sighing, he hit the steering wheel lightly, realizing that her actions had spoken louder than her words. He should have known something bad was going down with his friend. It was the only thing that explained her sudden personality change.

Lucas reluctantly sat back in the SUV's plush leather seats. He knew that whatever flaws his half brother had, he was very protective of Brooke. "I want her out of that house," he muttered, completely determined to remove his girlfriend from such a volatile situation.

Shaking his head, Nathan assessed the probability of that happening. "We'd never have gotten her out of the house directly. Besides, she doesn't have any place to go, Luke. Her father is in complete midlife crisis land and the only alternative is for her to go away to school," he explained, knowing that Brooke's mother had been threatening her with boarding school for years. Nate relaxed for a moment, realizing that going away to school might be the safest place for his friend.

"Her family is totally psycho," Lucas declared, looking out the window for any sign of life. He wanted out of this neighborhood, with its pristine sidewalks and giant mcmansions.

Sneaking a look at his older brother, Nathan decided to risk a comment on the night's events. "Psycho . . . like accusing your father of killing his family?" Nate asked, still upset by Luke's comments earlier that night. He glanced over at Luke, making sure that his brother understood just how upset he was. Not that Lucas cared what Nathan felt or thought.

Lucas sighed at the questions. If Nathan was that pissed about the nasty words he'd thrown at Dan, he could only imagine what his mother would have to say about the matter. "I didn't say anything that Dan the bastard didn't deserve," Lucas sardonically stated.

"Nice use of that word, by the way." Nathan turned away from the blond boy, looking out of his window. "You have no right using my mother and brother to cause him pain."

Something in Nate's tone caused Lucas to pause for a moment and reflect about how his brother must have felt about his mother's memory being thrown around like that. Something softened inside him, realizing that Nate probably didn't deserve that. "Look, I'm sorry that I dissed your mother like that. But I'm not sorry about what I said to Dan. He's a sleaze ball and I want him away from my mother."

Nathan turned back to face his brother, something in his tone causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand up. "What's your mother got to do with this?" He recalled the day of Keith's wedding, when he and Brooke watched Dan and Karen hug in the park. Nate was surprised that it had taken Lucas this long to get suspicious.

A troubled look crossed Luke's face, recalling the image of his parents kissing in the Café. His mother had never explained what they were doing or why. She was becoming the queen of avoidance. "I walked in on them kissing in the Café," he shared with his brother, realizing that this impacted Nate's life as much as it affected his own.

Nate sat back against his leather seat, completely taken aback. "Maybe you misinterpreted it," he lamely suggested, hoping that he could find some way to explain away the incident his brother was describing.

"Right, because seeing two people with their tongues down each other's throat is really open to interpretation." His words were harsh, his anger so very real at that moment. Lucas just found it impossible to let anything involving Dan go.

Shaking his head, Nate slowly exhaled, wondering what else could go wrong in his life. "I don't even know what to say," he slowly began before Lucas cut him off.

"There isn't anything you can say. The entire situation is screwed up," he offered, knowing that his mother would never do anything stupid like hook up with the guy. She might be preaching redemption for his sake, but she held Dan Scott responsible for most of the bad things that had happened in their lives. He had faith that her rationality would over rule Dan Scott's hormones and what ever past the two shared.

Before Nathan could agree, a noise drew their attention. Brooke slid into the backseat, relieved to be away from that house. "Sorry it took so long," she meekly offered, avoiding their worried glances by playing with the heat vents in the back seat. "Can you turn up the heat, Nate?"

Nathan complied with her request, a bit disquieted by the fact that she was still wearing the mangled red dress. "I thought you'd grab some stuff for the night, Brooke," he casually commented, not sure if she was in shock or not.

Brooke absently shrugged, not sure what she'd do for clothes and not really concerned about it. She just wanted to get away from that house. "Could we just leave and go some place," she suggested, looking over her shoulder to make sure they weren't coming after her.

"We can't go back to my place," Lucas replied. "My mom is probably wearing a path out in my bedroom, waiting to yell at me."

Nathan considered the options. "We can't go back to my house or the beach house because I'm not sure where my dad is." Dan tended to go to the beach house when he was upset but lately he was so unpredictable that Nathan didn't want to risk going to either place.

"There's a motel over on the edge of town that we could go to. They'll rent to me," she said, watching as both boys stared at her curiously. "What? I stayed there a few times during the divorce, when mom and dad were screaming at each other." She looked around the car for her purse, realizing that she'd left it, with all her money and credit cards in her room. "Great, I don't have any money." She looked at them expectantly.

Nathan got an idea and put the car into drive. "I know exactly where we can go," he said, driving off into the night.

* * *

Karen's arms twisted above her, insistent pleas giving away to a satisfied mewl of pleasure. Dan looked up from where he was, smiling at the complete satisfaction written on her face, before placing a gentle kiss on her inner thigh. He moved back up her body, alternating nips with kisses on first her hip bone, then her smooth stomach, before stretching out beside her.

"Were we this good 16 years ago?" she lazily asked, slowly coming down from her high. She rested her head against his broad chest, taking time to appreciate the closeness of another human body. She missed after sex cuddling nearly as much as she missed sex itself.

Dan absently played with her hair, letting the silky strands fall through his fingers. "No, definitely not this good. We were just kids fumbling around back then," he added for good measure.

Karen looked up at him in shock. "The great Dan Scott admitting that he's not perfect," she joked, running her hand across his chest to emphasize her point. He leaned down and captured her mouth, running his hand up her side as his mouth moved against hers. "I believe practice makes perfect," he retorted, mentally telling himself to slow down and not be so hormonal. He wasn't sure if he'd ever get Karen this close again, but he hoped that he'd have her for the rest of the night.

She rolled into his side, closing her eyes, letting his steady heart beat and the sound of the waves lull her into a peaceful state. He smiled down at her slight form, wondering why he'd ever left her side to begin with. "You look so serene."

She reluctantly opened her eyes and stared up at him. "It's good that I'm serene because when I go home, I'm going to go ballistic," she said, alluding to the ass kicking that their son was going to get for his actions at the Café earlier that night.

"Let it go, Kar," Dan finally replied. As angry as he was about Luke's crass accusations, he didn't want the boy grounded for life. "He's spent nearly every week of the past two months grounded." Dan was smart enough to realize that his oldest son's bad behavior coincided with the return of his father into his life.

Karen shook her head at Dan's words. "He's got to learn that he can't strike out at people when he's angry, Dan. He was vicious tonight and he's got to understand that there are repercussions for saying those kinds of things." For Karen it was a matter of control. She couldn't let Lucas run wild without trying to correct his actions.

Dan recalled the pain on his son's face from earlier that night. Pain from being abandoned, ignored and then reclaimed. "He's confused and hurt, Karen. Life is hard enough at that age without sudden parent syndrome causing chaos." His words were disparaging but true. He worried that his need to rectify his past actions wasn't easing his son's pain but rather perpetuating it.

"Hum…." Karen noncommittally replied, drawing his interest.

A vulnerable expression hovered over Dan, as he worried that he'd found some way to alienate Karen once again. "Do you think you can stay for the night?" he tentatively asked, feeling like a stupid school boy for the naked insecurity in his voice.

She reached out and grabbed his hand, clearly not wanting to discuss their son any longer. She and Dan had very different parenting styles. But parenting wasn't focus right now. For once, Karen was doing something for herself. Lucas could wait until tomorrow, after they'd both had time to calm down. She doubted that Lucas would seek her out tonight. He'd sulk in his room, preferring to avoid her rather than fight about his actions. That meant that she could safely spend the night at the beach house with Dan.

"I think I can stay the night," she softly replied, noting that his cautious words were not just an act. It was hard to let people in after you'd spent years building up barriers around your heart. Dan's request wasn't just an interest in sex and that was something she related to.

He didn't know what the hell they were doing. It was insane to think that anything good could come from them being together. But it felt so right to Dan. It felt like a part of him that had been missing for nearly two decades had come back home. He pulled her over so that her slight body rested on top of his. Their eyes locked for a moment, mutual understanding passing through them. This wasn't real. It was temporary. They both knew it.

But it didn't stop Dan from rolling her under him and kissing her passionately.

* * *

Haley glanced at the clock, wondering what kind of psycho Amway salesman knocked on doors after midnight. She ran down the stairs to the front door, wishing that her parents would occasionally come home. She threw the door open, shocked at the menagerie of people huddled together on her front porch.

Nathan looked hesitantly at his brother before turning back toward his new found girlfriend. "We need your help, Haley."

* * *

As always, replies are appreciated. I'm constantly amazed at the diversity of opinions this story gets. Things are heating up and moving to a new level of angst. Never fear, I'm sure the Karen hate will grow by leaps and bounds shortly. Thanks for reading!


	48. Chapter 48

Long chapter ahead!

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 48

Haley stood back and let the trio move past her into the house. There was an air of desperation surrounding them, something she'd never attributed to either Nathan or Lucas. Brooke, however…..she let that thought trail off. She glanced over at the very quiet cheerleader and did a double take. One of her eyes was swollen and her lower lip looked like it had been fed through a meat grinder.

She looked questioningly at that very somber group of kids. "Okay, what's going on?" Haley watched as Nate looked over at Lucas who glanced at Brooke, unsure of how much they should share with their benefactor.

Haley's brow creased in confusion, seeing the black eye that Nate was currently wearing. She looked over at Lucas and noted that his hand was bruised and swollen. Based on the nasty exchange earlier that night in the Cafe, she had to wonder if the boys had been beating on each other and if Brooke had somehow gotten in between them.

Knowing that Haley could smell a lie, Lucas opted for a partial truth. "We just thought it would be nice to get away from home for a night." Brooke's eyes shifted to the floor, knowing that Haley wasn't buying Luke's explanation. She reluctantly unzipped her hoodie, revealing her torn dress which barely clung to her body.

Stepping back, the shock on Haley's face was obvious. Her eyes slowly moved from Brooke's shaking form to the boys standing slightly behind her. "What the hell happened to her?" The ferocity in her voice added to the richness of the tone, Nathan absently noted. A part of him was thrilled that Haley was visibly upset on behalf of his friend. He'd spent weeks worrying about how he could get Brooke and Haley on better terms. If the circumstances had been different, he might have even smiled at the concern he heard in his girlfriend's voice.

Nathan stepped in, knowing that Brooke was still upset from the attack and wasn't too talkative. "Hales, something bad happened tonight. We need a place where all three of us can crash," he added, hoping that she'd not be too upset about them barging in so late at night.

Slowly comprehending the situation, Haley wrapped an arm around a still trembling Brooke and began walking her up the stairs. "Of course you can all stay here tonight," she soothingly said, making sure that Brooke didn't lose her balance on the stairs. Her parents were off visiting their new grand baby, so they weren't a concern. "Brooke and I are going to change into some different clothes," she added. Haley wasn't sure what had happened but she knew that the things lurking under the surface were probably as ugly as the ripped dress that adorned her friend's façade.

* * *

The door to the guest room that Haley had given Brooke slowly opened, leaving Nathan uneasily standing in the threshold. Haley was downstairs making coco and tea, anything warm and soothing for the girl who'd taken refuge in her home. Haley managed to coerce Lucas into helping her, giving Brooke some desperately needed alone time. His helplessness at the situation seemed to stress Brooke out more than the situation itself. Luke had to get rid of his own anger before he attempted to help Brooke.

Upstairs, Nathan awkwardly walked around the small guest room, not sure what to say to Brooke. Having taken Haley up on her offer of clothes, she was uncharacteristically clad in pink snow flake covered flannel pajamas. Brooke waved off her atrocious clothes and motioned for Nate to sit on the bed.

The tension in the room seemed to grow by leaps and bounds. Nathan was staring at her like an animal in a zoo. She hated the look in his eyes, the look that said he was uncertain what to say or do around her. It was the look that said she wasn't "right" in some form or another.

"You are making me feel like a freak, Nate," Brooke snapped before looking down at the worn quilt on the bed. She hated being bitchy with someone who'd just beaten the crap out of her rapist. She hated hiding every emotion that passed through her. It was like living a lie on a daily basis. She'd faked her way through six months of this hell and the burden was starting to wear on her.

He leaned back against the foot board and sadly smiled at her. "I don't mean to make you feel like a freak but we have to talk about what happened tonight," he insisted.

She recoiled at his words, curling into the pillows and the headboard of the bed, making herself smaller than he thought possible. It was as if she was trying to disappear into herself, Nate realized.

"We don't need to talk," she vacantly replied. Her hands instinctively wrapped around her tiny frame, attempting to ward off his conversation. Brooke felt panic creeping around the walls she'd built around her, dread that her friends would find out what happened six months ago, and that the illusion of Brooke the careless cheerleader would be destroyed. She'd worked too hard for too long to hide the shame from that night. That's one reason she'd let some distance creep in between Nate and her. It wasn't so much her dislike of Tutor Girl as it was an attempt to shut him out.

Nathan reached out toward her, but quickly retracted his hand when she jumped back in fear. Fear of him, he unhappily thought. "Brooke, you can't ignore that you were attacked. We need to talk about it so you can feel better," he said, instantly regretting his words as he watched the color drain from her face.

"Nothing is going to make me feel better, Nate. So no, we don't need to talk about it. You may want to, but I don't. I don't want to go back there or relive that," she explained, not caring if he thought she was talking about tonight when she was really thinking about the night of the wedding.

Nathan's face fell at her refusal to talk. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. He'd just seen his best friend attacked and dismissed by her parents and all he could do was try to get her to talk. "Why didn't you tell me this was going on?" he asked. He'd known that some was wrong with her. Surely this was the source of her pain from the past few months. He'd suspected her stepfather, but it made sense that a visiting stepbrother could be the problem.

"I tried to tell Peyton," she said, her voice sounding small and unsure. "But she told me that new families require time to settle down." Brooke explained how her stepfather took every opportunity to touch her and that her stepbrother was making advances toward her. Peyton took the opportunity to tell Brooke that not everyone wanted to sleep with her. No, Brooke thought. Some just wanted to rape her.

He sat back, stunned at that advice. "Why would she tell you that being attacked by your stepbrother is normal?" he asked, completely certain that Peyton was losing what was left of that peroxide soaked brain. Brooke didn't correct him about stepbrother. After all, she was being sexually stalked by both her stepbrother and stepfather. She just couldn't deal with explaining the entire situation to her friends. It was bad to have your step brother attack you, but it was more embarrassing to admit that your attacker's father was just as big a threat. Brooke dropped her head into her hands and surreptitiously wiped the tears that fell.

Moving off the foot of the bed, Nate settled down next to his friend, pulling her into his arms. He could tell she was still jumpy about being touched, but he wanted her to realize that she had some support in this horrible situation. "I wish you'd come to me, Brooke. I would have told you that it's not normal and you shouldn't have to be afraid to go home." And that was really the point, he realized. Not only had Brooke become the town party girl, using boys as distractions, but she'd used them to avoid going home. How many nights had Brooke stayed at his place, rather than face that kind of violence? Nathan's stomach twisted at how little he'd done for his best friend. "I should have known things weren't right, Brooke. I should have done more to help you."

His words made her tears fall faster. She was lucky to have a good friend like Nathan. Peyton's friendship had turned out to be conditional, but she realized that Nathan was consistent in his support. She looked up at him, her smeared mascara and bruised face making her seem so much older than she was. "I wanted to tell you, Nate. I just didn't know how to discuss something so...intimate with you. I thought if Peyton thought I was overreacting, you'd think I was being stupid." She felt guilty not telling the entire truth, that she was raped 6 months ago, that her stepfather was just as menacing as her stepbrother, and that these attacks were an expected part of her daily life. But she couldn't get the words out. She couldn't let go of the fear that they think there was something wrong with her.

"I'm upset that you couldn't ask me for help," he finally offered, not wanting to trouble her more than she already was. He looked down at her in confusion. "Is this why you started sleeping with everyone?"

She frowned at his question, not realizing that "everyone" was on her list of conquests. Nathan tended to be blunt, but his words still hurt her. "Not everyone. I've not slept with Lucas," she revealed. There was something about sex that confused her. With her first time being so cold and meaningless, she'd taken a view of sex in general as unemotional. Something to be done and filed away. A part of her just refused to get emotionally attached to any guy she was with. But Lucas was different... he made her want to get attached. He veered too closely to places in her heart she'd thought long dead.

Nate looked at her in surprise. "I thought you two were already together," he said, emphasizing the word. It was part of the reason that he hated seeing his brother go after his best friend. He didn't want to stand around and watch her get used by his brother of all people.

Sniffling, Brooke shifted so that she could see Nate's face. "I guess part of me really wants to let him in, to share something more than just sex with a guy. But the other part of me is worried that he'll be disgusted by me; that I'm somehow too gross to touch." Lucas was one of the only people in Brooke's life who seemed to like her for herself. She wasn't used to the gentleness he offered her when ever they were alone together.

In the hallway, Lucas leaned against the door frame, out of sight from the room's occupants. His heart constricted at her words, knowing that he'd failed to convey how much he liked her, or how much he valued her. He felt so impotent in this situation, so incapable of protecting her or taking care of her, just like he was unable to stop Dan from moving in on his mother. He turned back toward the door when he heard Brooke's voice.

"Maybe I just don't have anything good left to give to him," she speculated, immediately drawing both Nathan's sympathy and his concern.

"Brooke, I don't want be mushy, but I think you've got a lot of good things to give a guy. You can be very kind and caring when you aren't wrapped up in your image," he offered. "I think Lucas would be lucky to share that with you." He still wasn't sure about his brother being a decent guy, but watching him beat the crap out of Brooke's stepbrother was a good enough start for Nate.

"You didn't ask for this to happen to you and you did your best to fight him off," Nathan observed, remembering how she hard she was struggling when they knocked her door down.

Shaking her head, Brooke teared up at how passive she was the night of her mom's wedding. How she was too drunk to think clearly enough to fight. She might as well just thrown herself at J.J. for all the good her fighting did her. "I didn't fight hard enough."

He sat there for a moment, not sure what to say. Her step brother, while not as athletic as Nathan or Lucas, was solidly built in that tennis player mold. He was at least 5 inches taller and 50 pounds heavier than Brooke. There was no way she could have physically fought him off. "I should have done more," he quietly said. "I even told my dad that something was going on with you. But I just didn't push the issue hard enough."

Her ears perked up at that bit of information. Her heart started hammering in her chest. "You told Dan?" She asked. Lucas leaned in closer, attempting to hear his half brother's reply.

Nathan shrugged his shoulders. "I had to tell him something, Brooke. You're spending more time at our house than your own."

Walking up behind Lucas, Haley goosed him in the side. "Eavesdropping is tacky, Luke. Besides, take it from me, those doors are solid wood and you'll never hear enough." She'd learned the hard way, growing up with so many brothers and sisters. It was hard to eavesdrop in a solidly constructed house.

Passing her friend, she coughed before entering the room. "We just wanted to check up on you," Haley said, pulling Lucas around the door frame to join her. Brooke gave them a timid smile, taking in the surreal events of the night. "I guess this is one way to have a slumber party."

Nathan stood up and moved to Haley's side. "I think it's late enough for everyone to get some sleep," he suggested, uneasy about leaving his friend, but knowing that she needed to talk to Lucas.

Haley leaned over and gave Brooke a quick hug. "We'll be down the hall if you need anything. Lucas, you can take Vivian's room, if you need some place to crash." Haley nodded at Brooke in understanding. She realized that the girl might not want to be in the same room with any guy right now. They quietly left the room, leaving Lucas awkwardly standing at the door, staring at his girlfriend. He slowly made his way over to the bed where she sat, still and small.

Sighing, Lucas sat beside her, pulling her against his side. "I want to kill him." The words were simple and sent a chill up her spine. She had no doubt who "he" was. The coldness of Luke's voice took her by surprise.

"You can't do anything to him, Lucas. There are some people in life that can do whatever they want and get away with it, like there are no consequences for their actions. And J.J. is one of those people," she admitted, having seen his type most of her life. The most terrifying aspect of the situation was that there was nothing she could do to stop him from hurting her.

Lucas shrugged at her words. "He'll probably end up in congress. Or dating my mother," he said, as a snide reference to Dan. Everything in his life always came back to Dan. He looked at her, still visibly upset at her condition. Tears formed in his eyes as he traced her bruised and swollen check. "How could anyone hurt you like this?" he asked, knowing that he needed to be strong for her.

Her breathing caught a bit, as she struggled with that very thought herself. "It doesn't matter right now. I don't want to talk about it," she firmly stated. Nathan had worn down what was left of her strength and she didn't have any energy left to ward off Lucas' probing.

He hesitated a moment before speaking again. "I think we need to call the police. You were attacked and you have a right to report him and press charges."

Brooke's heart was pounding like she'd just run a marathon. "I can't do that. My mother would kill me," she insisted. "Besides, no one would believe me."

He stared at her in disbelief. "Brooke, both Nathan and I saw him attacking you. You have two witnesses." His words were tinged with insistence, as he didn't want her attacker to go unpunished.

"You don't understand. My stepfather would destroy all three of us before he let his son's reputation get tarnished." She wrapped her arms around her, as if warding off his argument. "I can't do this right now. I can't keep talking about this situation."

"Brooke, I just…you need to get those feelings out," he stuttered, feeling completely inadequate for this situation. He knew that he needed to be there for her, but he wasn't sure how to do that. It was so confusing…

She sat up in bed and turned to face him squarely. "You may want to go there, but I don't. I can't," she whispered, knowing that her control over the situation was slipping away. "I can't go back there…" she quietly repeated. She'd managed the past few months, relying on booze and boys to blot out the terrifying flashbacks. She'd found a way to survive by sheer will and denial. She'd locked the pain and anger she felt behind a wall of alcohol and meaningless sex. Lucas and Nathan threatened to knock that wall down. She just couldn't let go and experience that pain again. Not even if her best friend and her boyfriend wanted her to.

She felt his eyes on her and it was getting annoying. "Don't look at me that way," Brooke softly but firmly reprimanded.

Lucas looked over at her in confusion. "What way?" he asked, uncertain about how he'd upset her. He reached out to touch her arm, but Brooke abruptly yanked her arm out of his reach and moved off the bed to find a bit of peace in the room.

She turned back to him. "That way…the "poor little Brooke is permanently ruined" look. The one that labels me as damaged goods," she explained, seeing the sadness in his eyes. "Luke, I don't want to play the victim here. I don't want you thinking it's sexy to run in and save me. Whatever happened can't be fixed with a few hugs and some kind thoughts."

Sitting back, he considered how ineffective he was being. "I don't know what to say," he admitted. "I just want to make it better and I know that I can't really do that." But he could try to take the sleaze out that did this to her. Lucas was still stunned that her parents could be so indifferent to the attack. Their daughter was obviously attacked and they defended the creep who was responsible. "Or maybe it's because I think I'm in love with you and I hate to see you in pain."

His words shocked her into silence. It was a word she'd not hard very much in her life, and certainly none of her boyfriends had ever used it. She wiped her eyes a moment, overwhelmed by the peaks of emotions this night delivered. "Think you're in love?" she asked, wanting to clarify that his feelings were as strong as hers.

"I've never really felt this attached to another person before," he clarified. "I think its love." He hated how uncertain he sounded, how totally inexperienced he was in the realm of girls and dating. It was rare for him to get emotionally involved with another person and the feelings it produced confused him.

Smiling, she considered his words a decent start. "I'm glad that you like me so much. I really don't know what I'd do without you." Lucas had given her an emotional outlet that she'd been lacking most of her life. She didn't know what would happen in the future, but she was definitely happy that he wanted more than just sex from her.

She immediately felt guilty for yelling at him earlier for showing concern. Lucas was doing the best he could do under the circumstances. He was just as lost as she was. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I know it's hard to understand how screwed up my family is."

He wrapped his arms around her, leading her back to the bed. "You don't have to tell me about messed up families. I think we both lost out on normal parents."

She slowly exhaled, suddenly feeling the pain from both her physical and emotional wounds. Her body was bruised beyond belief but her soul was in worse shape. "I just think that maybe I did something to deserve this. Maybe if I was a better person this wouldn't have happened to me."

Luke started to mutter words of bland reassurance, before stopping. She didn't want that kind of support. "Dante wrote _The Divine Comedy_ about a man's journey through the various levels of hell."

She looked up at him in interest. "The story focuses on Purgatory, where damned souls go until they are purged of sin. In Purgatory, you work off your earthly sinful behavior through repentation and good works, until you reach the Garden of Eden. It's like literally walking through hell and coming out as a redeemed, better person on the other side."

His voice lulled her for a moment, distracting her with all the untold details. "So, it all eventually works out in the end?" she asked.

He thought about her question for a moment. "I'm not sure. I always saw it as an allegory of survival. You suffer in the afterlife because you were a bad person on earth and even though you make it through hell, you are forever changed. Not necessarily healed just …different." He'd lain awake for nights, pondering Dante's message of damnation and redemption. When he was younger it helped him get through the public scorn he faced for his birth. Now he wasn't sure what the point of the story was.

She looked up at him. "Do you think our Purgatory is having messed up families? And that eventually, we'll be okay?" Part of her desperately needed reassurance that things would get better, that tomorrow might be safer than today.

Lucas considered her question for a while before answering. "I don't know, Brooke. Maybe this is our season in Purgatory."

* * *

Haley walked out of the bathroom and down the hall toward her bedroom. Preparing for bed always gave her time to think and contemplate the day's events.. And never was there a time that needed contemplation as right now, she thought. The Brooke situation sent her mind racing, trying to figure out how she could help the girl out. It was disquieting to see a girl as spirited as Brooke so battered and bruised.

Walking into her bedroom, she stumbled over a blanket and looked down to see Nathan in a make shift bed on the floor. He grinned at her, checking out the small tank top and pajama bottoms she wore.

"I thought I'd go ahead and get this ready while you were in the bathroom," he admitted, knowing that part of her had to be worried about Nathan staying the night. While Haley's house had many bedrooms, she'd informed Nate that it would be easier to crash with her than to set up another guest room so late at night. Part of him was flattered, as if it was her subtle way of wanting to spend time with him.

Another part of him felt like he was asking to get slapped. Haley wasn't like other girls. There was an honesty to her that confused and enticed him. She didn't play games like Peyton. Most of the girls he'd known had engaged in some form of flirting, games designed to get his attention. Haley didn't seem to care whether he followed her down the hall after class or if he returned her phone calls.

She sat on the edge of her bed and looked down at where he lay. "You could sleep up here, if you wanted." Her face flushed at the sexy grin that crossed his face. "I mean, just so you could sleep better."

"I didn't want to presume anything, but this floor is pretty uncomfortable." He slowly got up, feeling her eyes on naked chest. She avoided his eyes as he stretched out next to her, unused to a boy in her bed.

"It's not like anything's going to happen," she replied, making sure that he understood it wasn't an invitation for sex. Nathan had way too much experience with girls, in Haley's opinion.

Sighing, Nate looked up at the ceiling, trying to ignore how cute she looked propped up in front of a mountain of pillows and stuffed animals. "I'm not really good at this relationship stuff," he candidly admitted. Peyton had been his most serious girlfriend and she was totally fickle, willing to break up at the slightest disagreement. Most of the girls just wanted to be seen with him or to make out with him. Sex with the older girls after games wasn't entirely unheard of. But having a partner to share things with was unusual for him. He tended to discuss school or basketball problems with his teammates. None of the girls he'd ever dated really cared about what he felt or thought about things.

Haley reached out and ran her hand down his washboard abs, wanting to reassure both of them. "I've never really dated before, so I'm not sure about the relationship thing either." She saw the effect her hand was having and jerked it back in surprise.

Reaching over, Nate gently pulled her hand back toward his body, resting her hand under his on his broad chest. He liked being this close to Haley James. "Maybe we can learn about relationships together," he suggested, liking the idea of the two of them building something solid from the ground up.

Smiling, Haley leaned in and kissed him.

*

* * *

Ah, no adults and a bit of Naley. What more could people ask for? As always, I love reading your opinions and thoughts. Replies are always appreciated.


	49. Chapter 49

A Season In Purgatory  
Chapter 49

Karen crept around the kitchen, avoiding the squeaky floorboards of her worn hardwood floors as she grabbed her purse and moved quietly toward the door. It was just past 5:00 in the morning, nearly an hour before she normally left for work. A noise down the hall stopped her in her tracks.

Standing in his door way, Lucas glared at her, suspiciously looking like he'd been awake for hours, she thought.

Only two weeks had passed since Brooke's attack and Lucas found it hard to let her walk out his door at dawn. They'd agreed that she had to find some place else to sleep a majority of the time, especially when her parents were actually in town, but they had to be careful to avoid detection. Brooke slipped into his room after midnight and was out the door by 5 am. Lucas was shocked that his mother was already leaving for work or where ever she was going, he cynically thought.

The situation with Brooke was killing him. He hated leaving her near those people. She'd been turned into a gypsy, floating from his house, to Nate's to Haley's in a single week. Worse, she'd grown fearful of the smallest noises, fearing things hidden in shadows that she'd previously not even considered. He looked at his mother and wished he could talk to her about Brooke. His mother used to have such good advice and Lucas could really use that right now.

But that mother was gone. The one left in her place hated his girlfriend. Lucas couldn't risk telling her anything now. "Leaving for work so early?" he taunted, nearly accusing her of sneaking out of the house.

A hesitant smile touched the corners of her mouth, an attempt to recapture the easy companionship they'd shared over the years. "I left a note and some breakfast for you," she explained, knowing that there was more than a glimmer of suspicion in his blue eyes. "I've got a lot of things to do before the morning rush." She flushed a bit under her son's steady gaze, knowing that there was more to the story than she was saying.

He shifted uneasily, leaning against the worn wall of their worn house. He wasn't sure when he started doubting every word that came out of his mother's mouth. Certainly the hidden relics from her past contained in photo albums that appeared and disappeared had been the start. The lies about the night of the accident had been another. He wasn't aware when he began doubting little things like her explanation for why she wasn't home the morning after Brooke's attack. Or why she was suddenly leaving early for work all the time.

Things had not been going well in the Scott-Roe household since Lucas joined the team. While he seemed to be getting along better with Nathan both on and off the court, relations with Dan were as tense as ever. Worse, that tension had crept into Karen's relationship with her silent and sullen son. He'd barely said anything to her since he'd nearly hit Dan at the Cafe two weeks ago.

"Do you want to talk about something?" She hesitantly asked, the words faltering even as she resolved to project strength. "Is everything okay with Brooke?" She mentally winced at the forced tone of her voice. But she was trying to relate to her son's girlfriend. Or at least she thought Brooke was his girlfriend. Once Lucas had sensed Karen's dislike of the girl, he rarely mentioned her name. Karen hated that her son was compartmentalizing his life. Dan had always done that and the results were never good.

Lucas coolly appraised his mother for a moment. More than anything he wanted to sit down with her and talk about all the things going wrong in his life. About the constant churning feeling in his stomach and the fear he had that his girlfriend was in grave  
danger. Instead, he stared at the wall above her head and shrugged. "See you later."

She watched as he turned and went back to his bedroom, the question about why he was up so early dead on her lips. She wasn't oblivious to what was going on. Her son was reserved but lately he seemed....different. Distant and lonely. Abandoning most of his friends to spend time with Brooke. Late at night, she could hear him move restlessly around the house when he should have been deep asleep. But for the life of her, Karen couldn't seem to reach him anymore. No one could. He'd even isolated Haley, though she at least was making tentative steps back into her best friend's life. Karen couldn't seem to bridge the divide that defined their current relationship.

Sighing, she grabbed her keys and headed out the door. Some things just took time and Lucas evidently needed time and space.

* * *

Whitey blew his whistle, stopping the play in mid run. "Hit the showers!" he barked, having seen enough of his team to know when they were physically incapable of giving more. "Lucas Scott! In my office now," he ordered, motioning the lanky boy toward the small room in the back of the gym. He was growing concerned about his new found star player. While not completely winded, the boy's conditioning wasn't as strong as when he joined the team. And he seemed distracted during practices, which was now carrying over into games. About the only aspect of Luke's game that didn't concern Whitey was his teamwork with his brother. Something good was brewing there, Whitey concluded. And that gave him hope that maybe this year wouldn't end with one of them being arrested for assaulting the other.

Lucas followed his coach, concerned that something bad was going down. Those concerns grew when he saw Mrs. Huffman, his calc teacher, sitting in the office. She smiled at him, hoping to disarm the growing anxiety she'd sensed in him the past month.

Whitey nodded at the teacher, before taking his worn out seat behind the desk. "Lucas, your teachers have voiced concerns that something might be wrong with you," he began, watching the boy shift uneasily under his steady gaze. "Apparently, your homework and test scores aren't up to snuff."

The silence in the room grew, prompting Mrs. Huffman to speak.  
"You've been in my class for two years, Lucas. And I've never seen you be.. .so distracted in class. Your homework, when you bother to turn it in, is a disaster." Her words were those of confusion, not anger. Lucas had always been a teacher's dream, until he'd joined the basketball team.

Lucas finally looked up at the adults. "I just...um, you know, am  
trying to get..." The stuttered excuses were cut off by a wave of Whitey's hand. "The only new development your teachers can find is basketball."

He successfully bit back a retort about his new found father, choosing instead to remain silent and speed this lecture along. He knew his grades were in freefall. He'd managed to hide this little fact from his mother, who was sure that all his visits to the library were spent in academic pursuits, rather than comforting his girlfriend.

Whitey's voice interrupted Luke's contemplations. "We can't have extracurricular activities affecting your school work," he said, toting the school line.

"It's not basketball," Lucas emphatically swore, making sure that he used his most earnest teacher's pet voice. "It's not a time management issue. I've just had trouble focusing lately." Which was pretty much the truth. The minute Dan Scott waltzed back into his life, nothing had been the same.

Whitey looked at his co-worker, who looked at Lucas expectantly, wanting more information that the sparse comments he'd muttered in the past five minutes. Sighing, Lucas continued. "There have been some changes in my life and I'm not doing so great with all of them."

Whitey nodded at his words, having already talked with Keith about the changes he'd seen in the boy the past six weeks. "Is this about your mom breaking up with Keith? Or is it the Dan and Nathan issue?" Lucas had been particularly scatterbrained during practices lately, messing up plays that he'd known by heart and generally not being focused on the hardwood.

Fighting the urge to gag, Lucas shifted his gaze back to the floor. He hated discussing his family in front of people. He was tired of the town discussing his family and didn't want to personally contribute to the gossip by telling his business to Whitey and his teacher.

Mrs. Huffman seized on his silence, wanting to get the boy to open up. "Is it a girlfriend?" his teacher helpfully prodded. She'd noted that Lucas had been spending a lot of time with Brooke Davis, who inevitably distracted half of the student body just by showing up to school.

Frowning at his math teacher, Lucas tersely reassured her. "Not everything I do wrong is related to Brooke." He'd had enough of that accusation from his mother.

"No one is blaming Ms. Davis," Whitey interjected, noting how quickly the boy's anger was sparked these days. "We're just being pre-emptive and warning you to get a tutor now before your grades get any lower." The adults knew from experience that academic trouble was usually rooted in personal problems at home. Especially when a student had such high grades like Lucas.

Sighing, Lucas knew that he needed a decent family, not a tutor. He understood what was being taught in his classes, he just didn't care anymore. Homework seemed insignificant next to his girlfriend being assaulted and his father walking back into his life. "I'll work on it," he promised, as he got up from his chair and moved out the door. It was definitely not something that he was going to put on his to do list any time soon. Not when he had so many things to take care of.

* * *

Nathan and Haley sat at the kitchen table, working on his history paper. He flipped through the biography of Harry Truman, looking for a quote that would lengthen his paper. "I'll never get 8 pages of stuff," he lamented, earning a quick laugh from his tutor/girlfriend.

"You'll get 8 pages, but you need to learn to develop your topic so you don't have to find so much filler," she gently admonished, following it up with a quick kiss. Nathan smiled at her before pulling her head down to his lips for a longer kiss.

"Do you kiss all the guys you tutor?" he mischievously asked. Flirting during tutoring was one of his favorite hobbies.

She laughed at the near jealousy she heard in his voice. "Only the really cute ones," she joked. She leaned in and kissed him again, letting her hand rove over the typical NBA shirt he wore. History forgotten, Nathan pulled the chair she was sitting on closer to his, hoping she'd make more of her body available to him. The back door opened and Dan walked in, jumping slightly at the make out session in front of him. Haley jumped back, a look of guilt crossing her face as Nathan pulled his shirt down over his stomach. Smiling, Dan noted how Haley grabbed their books and attempted to look vaguely interested in tutoring. "Sorry to interrupt kids."

Nathan studied his father for a moment, noticing the spring in his step. If he were crazy, he'd think his dad was actually happy for once. There had been a lightness in his father lately that Nathan couldn't explain, given the tension that Lucas was generating for his father at every opportunity. "Uh, we were just studying, Dad."

Smirking, Dan gave his son a knowing look. "Yeah, I can tell just how intently focused you were, son." It was hard for Dan to be upset about it. Heck, he'd done much worse in his teen years. "Just make sure you stay eligible. And try to remember that Duke does have standards for the ball team." He knew Nathan wasn't going to be a brilliant scholar, but he also didn't want his son to be a proposition 48, partially qualifying scholarship student. If Nathan couldn't get better grades, he'd only get a conditional scholarship into college.

Haley turned bright red, embarrassed that Mr. Scott had walked in on them. She was there to tutor Nathan and she wanted to make sure that didn't get lost in their sessions. But it was so hard when he had such nice, tight abs.

"I'm going to my office to finish up some work," he said, grabbing a bottle of water off the counter as he moved toward the door. He stopped and turned back toward his son and his girlfriend. "I think I'm going to have to miss your game tomorrow at Taylor City," he said, watching to see if Nathan was upset. Dan had gone to nearly every home and away game for the past few years. It was important for him to see how Nate played away from his own court.

Nathan's eyebrows rose slightly, shocked that his dad had something else to do other than follow a high school basketball team around the state. "That's fine, Dad. You should actually hang out more with your friends and stop spending all your time on me," he said. Part of Nathan worried that Dan would be lost when his son went away to school and he didn't have anyone to micromanage. Since his mother's death, Dan seemed to socialize less and less each year. But that seemed to be changing lately, with the reemergence of Karen in his father's life.

Dan nodded at him and walked to his office. He needed to call Karen and tell her he was free for tomorrow night.

* * *

Thanks for reading and replying.


	50. Chapter 50

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 50

* * *

Karen walked through the hallway of the high school lost in thought, transported back to a time when her only concern had been cheerleading and Dan. It was difficult to process the idea that she was in the same hallway for her son, not his father. Once a year the Tree Hill Teachers welcomed parents to their classrooms for an annual parent teacher conference.

Normally, Karen relished these days, as there was nothing a proud parent loved more than teachers with glowing reviews. Stopping outside of her son's history class, she paused, seeing that the door was closed with another parent in the room. Karen leaned against the block wall, wandering how bad this session would be. From what she'd heard from four of Luke's teachers, this year was shaping up to be very different than the other time's she'd visited. Karen knew that her son was having a hard time adjusting to the new things in his life, but she was shocked to hear that his grades were dismal.

Her book loving son was apparently reading everything but the books assigned for his English class. His math teacher was confused as to why Lucas sailed through last year and this year he seemed totally lost. His physics teacher went so far as to ask Karen if there was trouble at home. She frowned at that question, knowing that the teachers in Tree Hill were bigger gossip mongers than their students. Karen knew that they'd love to know that she and her son were struggling after years of being the model mother/son pair.

Hearing the door open, she straightened up wanting to project a good image for her son's history teacher. Instead, she ran smack into Dan's large chest.

"Karen," he stiffly noted, reverting back to his cordial public relationship with Karen. It was hard sneaking around, he thought. The warmth that he and Karen had managed to re-capture was forced beneath a veneer of indifference anytime another person was around them. It was as if they were two different people when they were alone at the beach house together. A smile crossed his face at the memories of their time together. Being so close to Karen, those memories seemed to take on a life of their own.

Karen shyly acknowledged his greeting, forcing the smile that was threatening to erupt off her face. Things were going so well between them and she was happier than she'd been in a long time. While she loved Keith, there was no passion there. It was the main reason she'd broken things off with him. But with Dan, it was like an electric current kept passing between them. A current that refused to be dead and buried.

The history teacher walked up to where they both stood, staring at one another with hidden intent. "I'm Mr. Cumbler," the older man said, trying to rush through his last few parents so he could get to the gym for the Raven's game. It was getting late in the day and he didn't want to get caught with straggling parents.

"Karen Roe," she introduced herself, knowing that this teacher was new to the high school. He stared blankly at her, mentally calculating the students he had with the last name Roe. Dan saw the confusion on the man's face and interjected "Lucas Scott is her son." Karen smiled at him gratefully, always finding it a bit awkward that she and her son had different last names. The teacher looked at Dan a moment before replying. "Scott? As in Dan and Nathan Scott?" He'd just finished up with Dan, giving the father good news about his son's academic progress.

Karen flushed a bit under the man's stare. She wasn't going to let anyone make her ashamed of past. "Yes, Dan is Luke's father."

Mr. Cumbler smiled and ushered them both over the chairs in front of his desk. "Well, we might as well get started. I'm sure you don't want to miss your son....sons' game," he hastily corrected himself, sitting behind the ancient oak desk that had been old when Dan and Karen were still in school. Dan hesitated, not sure that Karen would welcome him participating in their son's life to this degree. While they'd managed family dinners, basketball games, and forbidden midnight sex, there was something more intimate about sharing the small daily details of their son's life together.

She smiled up at him and motioned to the other chair. "You might as well stay and share the dreadful news," she retorted, looking over at the teacher expectantly. "I'm sure Mr. Cumbler has bad news to give me....us," she corrected, unused to sharing such information with Dan. It was hard for her to break the single parent role that she'd perfected over the years. But Lucas was Dan's son and he did have a right to know what Lucas was doing in school. She flushed at bit, realizing that part of her was just happy that Dan actually cared enough to stay.

The teacher had the grace not to pontificate about Luke's academic progress, and tried to find a better way to break the news to her. "I'm a little concerned about Lucas's grades over the last two months," he slowly began, pulling out his grade book as a reference. "He started the first few weeks very strong, with great test scores and excellent homework assignments. Now...it's like he's a completely different person." The teacher looked up at Dan and Karen for an answer. He watched as the parent's sent each other cryptic glances and continued. "I have no doubt that the boy is smart, but he's completely unfocused and disorganized."

Dan was a bit shocked at the news. From what little information he'd managed to get out of Keith, he knew that Lucas was a confirmed bookworm and had always gotten great grades compared to Nathan. Now as Nathan appeared to be doing better, his oldest son was failing. "I think Luke is going through a lot of changes," he offered, not sure how to explain that family turmoil was most likely the culprit for his son's dismal performance. At least most of the teachers at school knew about the Scott Family Dysfunction.

Karen nodded and then looked the teacher in the eye. "I can promise you that this issue will be addressed and you'll be seeing a much better result in the coming weeks."

* * *

Brooke grabbed her cheerleading bag off her bed and gingerly moved through the new doors to her suite. In the two weeks she'd bounced from Haley's house to Nate's and back, someone had called workmen in to replace the doors that Nate and Lucas shattered the night J.J. attacked her. Not that the doors made her feel safer, she thought as she walked down the marble staircase. She had less than 20 minutes to get to the gym and make sure that the spirit squad had decorated the gym correctly. The Ravens were playing their arch rivals tonight and she wanted to make sure that every aspect of the gym was conducive to a Raven's victory.

"Brookie," her stepfather called out, walking out of his study into the foray behind where she stood, searching her Coach purse for her car keys. She dropped the bag, partly from frustration and partly from fear. Trey always found a way to make her uncomfortable, especially when they were alone in the large house. Her mother was off on another shopping trip to New York City, and as hard as Brooke had tried, her mother insisted that she start spending some of the week in her home. Some home, Brooke thought. She lived in complete fear of being harassed or raped.

Taking in the long legs in the short cheerleading skirt, Trey let out a low wolf whistle at his stepdaughter's appearance.

Her anger grew and Brooke spun around giving the man a nasty look. "Has anyone ever told you that leering at your teenage step-daughter is a bit skeevy?" she challenged, tired of letting this man rule her life through fear and insinuation.

Trey moved closer, reaching out so that his hand could run up her tan thigh. "Actually, I was told the younger the bird, the more tender the meat," he replied, as his hand slid under her cheer skirt. Brooke's heart lurched; fear paralyzing her mind for a moment, before she jerked away from his lecherous hands. Shaking her head, she grabbed her bag and headed for the door. "You're sick," she spat out, before slamming the door to her house and practically sprinting to her car.

Two blocks later, she stopped at a red light and leaned over and threw up in the passenger side floor board. A car horn went off, forcing her to sit up and drive. It was the only thing she could do really. Just sit up and go on. She couldn't fight her mother and Trey. All she could do was tread water and pray to god she could stay above the waves that threatened to crash over her.

* * *

The game was close, with the Ravens pulling away by a few baskets, only to be down a few baskets moments later. Dan watched as Lucas made a bad pass, practically giving the ball to the other team. Whitey stood on the sideline, screaming at the boy, telling him he'd better find his head or else his butt would find the bench. Dan thought that was the message of the day. Confused adults trying to figure out why the young ones were lost. Now, Dan could see some of his son's problems on the court. The bad plays, the forgotten formations and passes....Lucas was definitely struggling and not just in school.

Karen was still angry about the parent -teacher conference. She spent half of the game muttering things that Dan could only half understand. He leaned closer to her, discerning her words from the roar of the crowd around them. "If it's any consolation, you do get used to being told that your son sucks at school," Dan offered, realizing that he was just making her angrier.

"He's never had trouble with school. I swear it's the two b's. Before basketball and Brooke, he was a stellar student," she confided to Dan. He considered her words, noting that she'd managed to lay a substantial part of the blame on his son's girlfriend.

"Or maybe it's the intrusion of his father and brother into his life that's sent him into a downward spiral?" Dan suggested, realizing that it was more than likely true. By trying to be a part of his son's life, he was causing chaos. He looked down, knowing that his best intentions often led to his children's pain. His obsession with Nathan's basketball career, Luke's abandonment issues, Daniel.

He glanced over at the baseline of the court to where the cheerleaders were chanting words of encouragement to the team. His eyes narrowed as he focused on Brooke. "There's something wrong with her," he pointed out to Karen. "She looks like a starving orphan." Karen followed his eyes and noticed for the first time that her uniform was very loose on her thin frame, her hip bones protruding from the low skirt.

She stubbornly refused to feel guilty. Sure, she could have fed the girl or invited her to more meals at the Café. Karen didn't hate her son's girlfriend, she just feared her. Feared the place she seemed to have in Luke's life, knowing that in some way she'd been replaced by Brooke as her son's confident. "Maybe she's just on one of those crash diets," Karen replied, not wanting to agree that the girl looked too skinny to be healthy.

"I called her father last week," Dan admitted, as they watched Nathan sink another three pointer.

Karen looked up at him in shock. "I thought you'd decided to not get involved."

He shook his head, knowing that things were moving too fast to not get involved. "I think Brooke's moved in with us, at least part time, " he clarified. "Nathan said that she couldn't stay at home and that she was bouncing around all her friend's houses so she'd have a place to sleep."

Karen looked back at the girl, re-evaluating the situation. Everything around Brooke seemed like a train wreck waiting to happen and Karen didn't feel guilty about trying to shield her son from the impact. He had enough problems without adding his girlfriend's screwed up home life to the situation. "I can't worry about other people's kids, Dan. I have enough problems just dealing with Lucas," she explained, her expression softening when she realized that Dan was dealing it. "Brooke's always been your concern, hasn't she?"

Ignoring the cheering crowd and the noise, Dan considered her words. He'd barely managed to raise Nathan in the days after Deb's death. It was as if he'd spent years in some kind of emotional coma, where he moved and talked and worked, but wasn't really aware of much. But somehow, he knew that Brooke wasn't being cared for. He'd known enough to send extra food for Nate's lunches and to make sure she got home safely at night. "I've done what I could for her," he admitted. "I've not always been aware of what's going on in Nate's life, let alone hers." And it was that unknown factor that worried him. Still, who was Dan to interfere in another family? He'd screwed up Lucas and mangled his own life to criticize others. He'd left a brief message for Brooke's dad, hoping that he'd check up on his daughter.

He realized that Karen was going to bitch at their son and he wanted to soften the blow, hoping that he could start making a difference in his oldest son's life. "Try not to lose it when you talk to him, Karen. Let him go to the after game party tonight and then find some way to discuss his grades without bringing up Brooke," he advised, knowing that Karen tended to ground first and talk later. Watching as Lucas missed another shot, Dan knew that they had to find a way to jolt their son back to reality. And soon.

The crowd thinned after the game, thrilled that their Raven's had managed to pull out a last minute victory. Lucas pushed open the locker room door, preoccupied by the ass chewing he'd received from his coach. Seeing his mother waiting for him, he winced knowing that he was doomed from the glare of death on her face. The ever present Dan hovered around, looking as pained as Lucas felt at the coming confrontation.

He walked toward them, wishing that Brooke was with him, knowing that he felt stronger whenever she was around. Brooke understood how uncomfortable he was around Dan and she was a source of support that he rarely felt whenever his mother was around.

"I spoke to your teachers today," she greeted, attempting to not yell at him, per Dan's advice. At what point she'd begun to listen to Dan rather than her own instincts was unknown. He looked down at his feet, realizing that this confrontation was unavoidable. She'd have found out about his academic troubles when his report card was sent home, so there was no point lying about it.

"What do you want me to say?" he asked, avoiding her glare by glancing around the large gym for his girlfriend. Part of him was embarrassed about the grades; another part of him just didn't care anymore. So many things in his life were out of control and he couldn't seem to work up the interest in saving his grades in light of all his other problems.

Dan shook his head at the boy's tone. He was nearly baiting his mother. "I think she wants to hear that you are concerned about your grades and that you're going to work extra hard to bring them back up," Dan suggested, trying to give his son a way out.

Lucas gave his father a withering glance. "Nice of you to notice me, Dan. If it weren't for you abandoning me, I might not have to work double time to get a scholarship for college." Karen watched as her son's words hit Dan with the force his son intended. She wanted to reach out and take his hand in support, but realized the gesture would hardly make the situation better.

"Lucas, this isn't about Dan or the past. It's about your failing grades. I expect that you'll be at the Café after practice so that you can put in a full night's worth of homework," she said, using her patient mother tone. "If you can show a marked improvement in the next few weeks, I'll let you stay on the basketball team. If your grades continue to decline, you're off the team."

Lucas face grew red at her words, his fists clenching as his desire to hit someone grew. "I bet you are grounding me again," he muttered, realizing that it was impossible to fight with his mother. She had the ultimate power over his life and she'd make him do anything she wanted, including being part of a Dan study fest after school.

Karen ignored his snarky tone. "You aren't grounded but I do expect you to study 4 hours a night until your grades are better. I've got the phone numbers of all your teachers and I'll be in contact with them so I can monitor your homework progress."

His lip curled at that idea, it was more humiliating that anything he'd suffered before. "Whatever. I'm going to find my girlfriend." He said as he walked off toward the lobby of the gym. Karen watched him leave, before turning to Dan. "I think that went well," she softly said, laughing at the lame joke. Dan slid an arm around her and pulled her closer to him, not caring that there were people milling about. He pulled her closer to him and nuzzled her ear for a moment. "It will be okay, Kar. He'll shape up." Karen inhaled his strong scent, one that always made her feel strong, and safe and protected. She wanted to stay in his arms forever.

Dan leaned back and took in the contentment in her eyes. He got an idea and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward his navigator. "I have the best idea for tonight."

* * *

51 is hugest chapter yet. Big stuff happens. Huge!

*Peyton and Brooke throw down (in a totally suburban way)  
*Dan and Karen get a surprise  
*Brooke and Lucas take some drastic measures

AN: I usually don't like to discuss the psychology behind my stories, but I just wanted to take a moment to mention a few things about Brooke and Lucas. I don't tend to mention this, but I have a master's in counseling psychology and have worked with situations similar to those in the story (though not nearly as dramatic and dysfunctional). I know everyone wants Brooke to get out of her house and to get "fixed", however, the process is not nearly that easy. She's a kid who has no one in her life except Lucas and she's at that wonderful stage in life where she's in lurve. She doesn't want to do something that will take Lucas away. She's not rational, she's panicked. It's not the best state to make decisions in. And yes, she's medicating with booze and drugs to avoid the pain and reality. For those who are fed up with her, please give the story some time. I know the story seems long, but it's really only been going on for a few months.

Luke is acting out of anger and confusion. His father is a huge part of his life and he's mentally had three or so months (my time line is a mystery to me at times, but this is crystal clear) to adjust to Dan being around. Yes, Karen is a problem right now. But Luke has issues that he's going to have to work through. It's a messy problem and it tends to get worse over time. However, there is resolution. Of course, you'll have to read it and see what you think. But there's a method to the madness. Luke and Brooke are descending right now. There are levels to dysfunction, just as there are levels to finding a way out. In my mind, this is a story about two people who come together because of bad circumstances. The question is, can love born in despair end up in a good place. It's a metaphor that I see with Dan and Karen, as well. They are making stupid decisions. But part of life is stupid decisions, and the adults aren't immune. Without bad decisions, there is no story. At least for me!

Brooke wouldn't just decide she's okay and live happily ever after. She wouldn't make the move to tell anyone how bad things are in life. She's living the life of a perfect, rich cheerleader. That doesn't include rape and parental chaos. She also doesn't have a history of good results when she's trusted someone with her secrets. It's a process and while I think it works out realistically according to what I've seen, I'll let the readers decide if they want to kill me when the final chapter is posted. Just remember that I love these characters to death (or in Peyton's case, literally to death) and I want to take care of them.

That said, I love comments and feedback. I just want to explain why people are doing things and the best way to do that is to read the story. I love the passionate opinions people have and I know that some are frustrated (especially with the adults). But they are all part of the story. If Dan and Karen weren't together, Lucas might be a bit more rational and able to help Brooke. Or worse, hanging out with Peyton. It's a road of failure and love. Thanks!!!


	51. Chapter 51

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 51

* * *

The party was blaring full blast by the time Lucas pulled Brooke's car to a stop in front of the sprawling house at the end of the posh block. He leaned his head back against the head rest for a moment, before looking over at his girlfriend. "You're too quiet tonight," he commented, worried that something was wrong.

Taking a deep breath, Brooke turned toward him and offered him a small smile. "It's been a long week," she offered, not willing to share what had happened earlier with her stepfather. Lucas was pretty much the only thing she had in life and she didn't want to gross him out. "Maybe we should just drive to the beach and talk." She didn't feel like going to a party where she'd have to paste on her famous dimples and fake her way through being a party girl.

Lucas considered her words, taking in the masses of kids on the lawn and porches of the immense colonial house in front of them. "We promised Nate and Haley that we'd see them at the party though," he admitted, knowing that his brother just wanted to continue Whitey's lecture about how much his game sucked. He'd promised Haley though and he was trying to be a better friend to her lately.

Sighing, Brooke slid out of the seat, prompting Lucas to get out of the car. He grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "We'll make it a short night and go to the beach," he said, nuzzling the back of her neck. They'd really not had any quality alone time lately and he wanted nothing more than curl up with Brooke on a deserted beach.

Fighting back the feel of her stepfather's hands, Brooke managed to relax into her boyfriend's roving lips. She just needed to loosen up, she thought. A few drinks and all her problems would fade away.

* * *

"Tim," Nathan yelled, fighting to be heard over the blaring stereo. "Great party." He managed to maneuver Haley toward his friend, who was chasing a freshman cheerleading around the keg.

"Dude, you made it!" Tim screamed, giving an appreciative wolf howl at Haley. "Your girlfriend is so hot." Nathan gave his obviously drunk friend a critical look, before pulling him into a headlock and tersely saying "don't be rude, Tim."

Nathan released him and he rubbed the back of his neck for a moment before grinning over at Haley. "Sorry, but you do look hot." Tim caught a flash of the freshman cheerleader sneaking behind him and yelled "Tim time." Haley watched as he ran off, before turning to look at Nate. "And you are friends with him why?"

Shrugging, Nate grabbed a plastic cup and filled it from the keg. "Because he throws great parties and I'm the only person who can put up with him?" She frowned at how fast he downed the beer, but refrained from commenting. As long as he was sober enough to drive her home, she wasn't going to lecture him about drinking.

"What I don't understand is why you put up with Tim and yet you can barely stand to be in the same room with your own brother," she noted. His eyebrows rose a moment, before refilling his cup. "Come on, Haley. I'm trying. I even asked him to drop by tonight even though he nearly lost the game."

"He didn't play that badly, Nate. He just had an off night," Haley said, defending her friend. In truth, Haley was worried about Lucas. He was screwing up nearly everything he did lately. Hearing a roar go up in the living room, she looked past Nate's shoulder and saw Brooke and Lucas ending a shot contest. "Be nice," she muttered, as the couple meandered through the dance area in the living room and headed toward them.

Brooke made a beeline to the keg, giving Haley and Nathan a quick greeting as she downed first one and then another cup of beer. Lucas warily approached his brother, focusing instead on his friend. "I guess I missed you after the game," he said, not wanting to dwell on his sucky performance.

Haley noticed the dark circles under his eyes and her worry kicked into over drive. "Are you doing okay, Luke?" she asked, putting a hand on his shoulder in concern. He glanced at her hand for a moment, and then realized that Nathan was listening intently to their conversation and pulled away. "I'm fine, never better," he lied, not caring to discuss his problems in front of a throng of people. Nathan's eyes narrowed at his older brother's words. "I suppose she's fine too?" he asked, motioning toward Brooke who seemed intent on draining the keg.

"God, what is it with everyone tonight?" Lucas erupted, finally having enough of all the people bitching at him. "She's drinking. I'm drinking. You're drinking. People drink," he yelled before walking out of the kitchen. Nathan shot Haley a look before turning to stare at Brooke, who was practically glued to the keg. "What?" she asked, before downing her beer.

Haley shook her head in dismay, but knowing that she couldn't stop Brooke or Lucas from self destructing in the middle of a party. She started coaxing Brooke away from the keg, when the girl froze, prompting Haley to follow her gaze out to the make shift dance floor where her ex best friend and boyfriend were in a lip lock.

Lucas was in the process of heading for the front door when a set of spindly arms grabbed him from behind and pulled him on the dance floor. "Hey Lucas," she drawled out, wrapping his arms around her waist. He was clearly buzzed, which made Peyton even happier. She pulled him closer to her, supporting his listing body with her small frame.

"Where's Brooke?" he slurred out, his tongue feeling suspiciously leaden in his mouth. He just needed to get back to Brooke and she'd make the emptiness inside of him go away, he reasoned in what little part of his brain that was still sober.

"We don't need Brooke, do we," she replied, suggestion heavy in her voice. She slid her hands down his back and attempted to sway in time to the music with him. His eyes dropped in exhaustion, having played an intense game on little sleep. Peyton ran her hand up under his shirt, relishing the feel of his warm skin. She'd worked so hard to get his attention lately, as his fixation on Brooke was beginning to annoy her. Peyton knew that Lucas was only dating Brooke because she'd refused to date him exclusively. Eventually, he'd tire of the perky brunette and start chasing her again, she was confident. And anything she could do to speed up that process was fair game.

Lucas pushed away from her thin body. As he pulled his head away from her shoulder, she turned her head, planting her lips on his. The kiss lasted an instance, before Lucas shoved the girl away from him. "Get off me, Peyton!" he yelled. He stopped when he realized that Brooke and Haley were staring at them in shock and amazement on his girlfriend's face before she bolted out of the kitchen.

Peyton sauntered into the kitchen and grabbed a draft off the keg. "What's up with you, Haley?" she causally asked, knowing the girl was staring daggers at her. "What?" She innocently asked.

"Do you inadvertently cause people pain or are you just intent on unleashing it on Tree Hill?" Haley asked, visibly upset by the blonde's actions. Haley had better things to do than hang out with a girl who took pleasure in destroying her friend's relationships.

Peyton's eyes narrowed at the accusatory tone in Haley's voice. "I was with Lucas way before Brooke was interested in him. She totally moved in on my guy," she asserted, trying to explain why Lucas was her property.

Sighing, Haley looked around for Nathan, needing a way out of this conversation. "You played with Luke for months, blowing him off for weeks and then trying to use him for sex the next month. He gave up on your mind games and started hanging out with Brooke, a girl who appears to be steady in her affections."

Grabbing another cup of beer, Peyton smirked at Haley's words. "And how steady has Brooke ever been in her affections? She'll play around with him for a few months and then dump him when someone better comes along."

Shaking her head at the pathetic girl in front of her, Haley gave her a sad look as she stalked past her. She'd just spotted Nate in the living room and she needed to tell him that Brooke was upset. Peyton leaned back against the kitchen table and thought a moment. She just needed to draw out the dark side of Brooke, so that Lucas could realize that she was totally the wrong girl for him. She turned quickly and went into the one of the bedrooms upstairs, where Tim's older brother was selling drugs. All she needed to do was get Matt to give out some samples out tonight.

Brooke stood on the deck, hugging her arms around her waist, trying to stop the violent shaking that cold air and the night's events had brought on. The last thing she'd needed for this day to be horrible was the sight of her boyfriend locking lips with her ex- best friend. Hearing a noise behind her, she turned and saw Matt, Tim's older brother standing behind her.

She turned back around, grateful that she'd managed to avoid Lucas and the rest of her well meaning friends. That last thing she needed was a sympathy party about Lucas and Peyton.

The boy impatiently coughed, forcing Brooke to turn around and acknowledge his presence. "What do you want, Matt?" she suspiciously asked knowing what the guy was all about. He sold drugs part time, having failed at nearly everything he'd attempted since graduating Tree Hill High two years ago.

"Brookie," Matt purred, in a greasy used salesman kind of way. "You look like a girl who needs to have some fun," he murmured, leaning over and getting very close to her tiny frame. Brooke tensed as his hands touched her for a second, readying herself for some kind of attack. Instead, he slid a packet of pills down the small front pocket of her jeans, before backing away. "That's some of my premium stuff. You know where to get more if you want it," he said, before turning to go back in the house. He paused for a moment as Nathan walked up to them, stepping to the side so the younger boy could get by him.

Nathan's eyes narrowed as he watched Matt walk off. Tim's brother or not, the guy was bad news. He turned his attention back toward his friend. "Hey there," he said, wiping away the trace of a tear as it coursed down her cheek. "I hear you have stupid boyfriend syndrome."

A smile threatened her serious demeanor for a moment. "Have they invented a cure for that yet?" she sniffled, knowing that men were just innately stupid. Nate watched as she turned away from the house, cloaking herself in the darkness that loomed around them.

"He's drunk, Brooke. Haley and I found him in a corner, barely conscious," he explained, not sure why he was defending Lucas. "Brooke, Haley saw the entire thing. Lucas was practically shoving Peyton away from him." At the end of the day, this really wasn't about his brother; this was about his friend who was in pain. And Nathan had to help her regardless if it meant defending Lucas.

Brooke listened patiently, hearing his words but refusing to process them. She didn't want to have more reasons to trust Lucas, to give her heart to him more than she'd already done. It would be easier for all of them if he did cheat on her with Peyton because it would give her an excuse to shove him away. "Why should I trust him?" she plaintively asked her best friend, confused beyond belief. Most of the men in her life had hurt her in so many ways. Trusting Lucas made her too vulnerable and that was something that she couldn't risk. Betrayal after betrayal were piling up on her: Peyton, her parents, Trey, J.J.... It would kill her if she had to add Lucas to that list.

Leaning back against the railing of the deck, Nathan considered her words. "I think you can trust him. I've been watching him closely and I don't think he's interested in Peyton." Unlike their father, Lucas seemed to have made his decision between the girls in his life.

The door to the house opened, drawing both of their attention. Haley negotiated the glass door, supporting a drunken Lucas across the deck. Nathan moved quickly to help her, knowing that her small frame couldn't continue to hold his brother's weight indefinitely.

Lucas struggled to get past Nathan to where his girlfriend stood, watching him with wary eyes. "I didn't do anything, Brooke. I promise," he explained, his addled brain comprehending Haley's explanation of what his girlfriend thought she saw. He lurched closer to her, making sure that only she could hear him. "I didn't want her to touch me, Brooke. Do you know how gross it is to have someone's hands on you when you don't want it?" he slurred, praying that Brooke would listen to him and give him a second chance.

She froze at words, flashing back to through all the nights of unwanted touches. Part of her resolve melted at his words, her anger slipping away into the night. Yeah, she knew what he was talking about. "It's okay, Luke. I know Peyton's been after you for a while." He clumsily fell into her arms, pulling her closely to him. Lucas was so afraid he was going to lose her, lose another person in his life.

Haley hated to break up the moment, but knew that they had to get Lucas some place where he could sober up. "Lucas, you can't go home tonight," she said, drawing the couple's attention. "My parent's are actually home and you know that they'd call your mom."

Nathan slowly exhaled, knowing this night was more trouble than it was worth. "We'll take him to the beach house. We'll deal with Karen later," he said, moving to help Brooke support his brother toward the house.

The group slowly made it to the front door when Peyton walked up behind them. "Lucas, you can't leave. The party's just beginning," she called out, watching as Brooke's face grew tight with tension.

The kids in the house grew quiet, sensing an impending cat fight in the making. Seething, Brooke moved in between her boyfriend and her ex-best friend. "Leave us alone, Peyton. None of us need you interfering," Brooke declared, growing tired of the people in her life who constantly ignored her boundaries. Her heart constricted for a moment, realizing that she was losing her best friend. They'd grown so distant lately that she tended not to focus on it, to put off worrying about it. But it was getting harder for Brooke to forgive her friend's complete lack of interest in her problems. She'd given Peyton her full support after her mother had died. Yet after Brooke's parents got divorced, her best friend was completely dismissive about her feelings.

Peyton moved closer to Brooke, glad that all the pretenses of their friendship were falling away. "What's wrong, Brooke. Are you afraid you won by default?" She asked, knowing her friend's weakest points. Brooke had always been insecure about her place in people's lives. And when she was insecure, she did stupid things.

Brooke's fist connected with Peyton's jaw in an instant, knocking the skinny girl flat on her ass. "Don't fuck with me, Peyton," she calmly stated, rubbing her hand against her leg. Nathan looked down at Peyton and shrugged. "I think that pretty much said it all."

* * *

Nathan fumbled for his keys, encumbered by his brother and the lack of lighting by the beach house's door. It was past 2 AM and he was dead tired. This was definitely not his idea of a fun after game party. Suddenly, he was happy that he'd only had a few beers at the party and was totally sober for once.

Haley helped him with the lock and he smiled at her gratefully. He honestly didn't know how he'd deal with all the problems in his life if it weren't for her. Haley was filling a void in his life that he wasn't even aware he had.

He opened the door and stood aside, allowing Brooke and Haley to maneuver Lucas through into the entry way. Nate noticed that the 20 minute drive to the beach house didn't do much for his brother's sobriety.

Brooke struggled under Luke's weight, still slightly buzzed. She just wanted to crash someplace quiet with her boyfriend and wake up to a better morning. She ignored the small package of pills in her pocket and the massive selection of alcohol at the massive bar just across the room. The need for something to bloat out her pain made her feel even weaker. The night had been a total disaster for her, the last straw being Peyton. A lump formed in her throat, feeling the losses of the past few months adding up.

Nathan walked through the entryway into the massive living room; flipping lights on to help the girls move Lucas toward the overstuffed furniture across the room. He moved toward the fireplace and abruptly stopped, the girls and Lucas plowing into his back.

"What…." Lucas began, peaking around Nathan's large shoulders. His eye's widened at the sight of Dan and Karen, lying naked under a blanket in front of the fire.

* * *

Cliffhanger much? To the three people who actual like Dan and Karen, thank you. I appreciate the support. As always, thanks for reading and replying. I always love to hear what you think, even if it involves vodoo dolls, Karen and large pins.


	52. Chapter 52

Warning: There's a bit of cussing and snarky adolescent behavior and implied parental ickiness in this chapter.

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 52

Silence descended over the room, as Lucas stepped out from behind his younger brother and stared at his parents, who attempted to cover themselves with a small flannel blanket. Lucas was literally stunned into silence, wanting to look away yet unable to avoid the train wreck in front of him. He weaved a bit, looking unsteady on his feet for a moment, before Brooke moved in to support him.

Karen's heart constricted at the look of utter devastation written on her boy's face. "Lucas, I can explain," she started, attempting to get up before Haley interjected.

"Karen, you probably need to get some clothes on before chasing after him," she gently chided, knowing that the woman was embarrassed beyond rational thought. Karen looked down at Dan who clutched the tiny bit of blanket she'd left him with her abrupt move to get up.

Feeling the anxiety in the room, Nathan and Brooke avoided adding to the chaos that was brewing. Brooke was used to screaming families, but the sheer hostility between Lucas and Dan was more intense than any screaming fight she'd witnessed between her parents.

Nathan was just profoundly uncomfortable in the midst of this battle between his father and sibling. He'd grown up in a huge, silent house. He wasn't used to the kind of energy that seemed to swirl around his older brother. Feeling his father's gaze, Nate walked into the kitchen, totally unprepared to see his father so close to a woman that wasn't his mother.

Haley grabbed Luke's arm and began to move the still speechless boy toward what she thought was the kitchen. "Why doesn't everyone get dressed and we'll calmly discuss this over some tea," she asserted, attempting to take charge before all hell broke loose. It was her lot in life to play the peacemaker in bad situations. That particular talent had been formed with her own argumentative family. Haley always found a way to soothe angry people in any given situation.

Lucas finally reacted to the situation. "I don't want to chat over tea, Hales," he slurred, making a quick grab for Brooke, who was only slightly less drunk than he was. "I walk in on the anti-Christ fucking my mother and you want me to be calm?"

Karen's expression quickly went from one of embarrassment to one of fury. "Lucas, you will not use those words," she said, mustering as much dignity as she could in the situation. Dan looked away at his son's accusatory words. Things were so difficult with Lucas under normal circumstances and he could feel the boy's resentment from across the room. He sighed, realizing that he'd probably react the same way if he'd walked in on estranged parents. He realized that Nathan was upset, as he'd left the room a few minutes before without so much as a glance at his father.

Picking on her son's slurred words, Karen lost some of her embarrassment and snapped into 'mom mode'. "Are you drunk? I thought I told you that there was to be no more drinking," she chided, upset that Lucas was flaunting her rules yet again. Besides, a change of subject was more than warranted, she reasoned.

Swinging wildly about, Lucas turned to face his mother, still prone next to the man who was ruining his life. "Yes, I'm drunk. But trust me when I say there isn't enough booze in the world to block out this image." His pain was more than just shock at his mother in such an intimate situation. It was the worst form of betrayal that he could conjure in his mind. Luke's heart clenched at the idea of his mother being so close to the man who'd caused her so much pain through her son's entire existence.

Brooke grabbed Luke's hand and dragged him toward the kitchen. "I think you two need to get dressed," she suggested, moving Lucas out of sight. Haley backed her up, helping Lucas balance as he reluctantly walked toward the beach house's massive kitchen.

Nathan looked up from the table as his friends stalked in from the living room. "Is everyone still alive?" he uncertainly asked, clearly reading the fury in his brother's eyes. He realized that he'd taken the easy way out of a bad situation by leaving, but Nathan felt more than uneasy in this situation. He was like a part of the puzzle that didn't have a place, he thought. Karen and Dan were obviously hooking up and now they were dealing with their son. Nathan wasn't a part of that, he was just a left over piece that didn't belong to the final project.

Lucas somewhat unsteadily made his way toward the stainless steel refrigerator that dominated the professional grade kitchen. He paused a moment, mentally calculating the cost of such a high end appliance. It was difficult for Lucas not to compare it to the old, battered one that currently sat in his tiny kitchen. They'd never really had any new furniture in their house. But he'd never noticed how shabby their belongings were until he'd started hanging out with Nathan and his friends. It was difficult not to realize the life he'd been denied. Lucas gently touched the front ice dispenser, knowing that when he went home he'd have to contend with ice trays if he wanted a cold drink.

Brooke and Haley exchanged concerned looks at Luke's sudden interest in kitchen appliances. "Lucas, the "Price is Right" act is kind of creepy," Brooke said, trying to project a perkiness she certainly didn't feel. Dan and Karen had killed her buzz for the night.

His voice was still quiet, but his face suddenly seemed older and harder. More mature, somehow, than Brooke's first impression of him as a quiet loner. He opened the fridge and grabbed a beer before heading over to sit at the well-appointed table with Nathan.

Nathan watched in shock as his brother pulled the cap off and proceeded to guzzle the liquid down. "Luke, I don't think now is a good time to keep drinking," Nate diplomatically observed.

Lucas rolled his eyes at the younger boy's nagging tone. "Actually, I think right now is the perfect time to get drunk."

"Get?" Haley snorted under her breath. She was getting tired of Luke's pity party. "You're pushing Karen's buttons and you know it," she said in a matter of tone, well aware that her point of view was not welcome. She'd listened to Karen's lectures about irresponsible drinking for years. Lucas was deliberately doing this to get back at Karen and Dan.

Brooke leaned back against the granite counter top, strangely quiet given the current situation. The fights in her family usually didn't involve her. Her parents tended to scream and bitch about her but never involved her, other than as a passive hostage to their family dysfunction. She understood Luke's need to drink. There were some images that you couldn't block without it. Or something stronger, she thought, remembering what was in the pocket of her jeans.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Dan and Karen, now clothed, entered the room. Karen's eyes immediately zoomed in on the green beer bottle in her son's hand. Stalking across the room, Karen snatched the bottle away from Lucas. "Son, you are picking a battle you aren't going to win."

The harshness of her tone caused Dan to take a step backwards. He'd been on the receiving end of a Karen Roe bitch slap, but nothing in the past prepared him for the fury written on her face.

Lucas felt his muscles stiffen at his mother's harsh words, even though he knew he'd prodded a bear in a cage with his actions. He leaned back against the ornate chair and smirked at his mother, knowing he'd hurt her as much as she'd hurt him. The rational part of his brain had long been dulled by alcohol but he knew that drinking was the one issue guaranteed to upset this mom. "What are you afraid of mom? That drinking will get me knocked up? No wait," Lucas said, pausing a moment in a fake thought. "That's your forte, not mine."

The room was dead silent for a moment before Karen reached out and soundly slapped Lucas across the face. Haley's eyes widened in shock at Karen's actions. She'd never seen the older woman resort to physical violence. Karen was literally shaking the by the time she lowered her hand.

Luke's hand automatically moved to his cheek, now red from his mother's blow. He was stunned at her actions, but no less stunned than he'd been to find his mother horizontal with Dan Scott. "I hope he's worth it," Lucas softly muttered to her, as he walked across the room and out the beach house's door. The meaning behind his words was obvious; Karen was making some decisions that would forever alter the course of all their lives.

The room remained oddly still as the sound of the waves crashed into through the still open door. Finally, Brooke moved toward the door, before stopping halfway and looking back at the loose assembly. "He's just really upset," she said, at a loss for words. She turned and fled the house, intent on catching up with her boyfriend before he did something really stupid.

* * *

Brooke struggled with the key, finally maneuvering it into the lock, pushing the dingy door open. She and Lucas spilled into the room, dropping the various bottles of liquor that they'd acquired in the hour since leaving the beach house. She'd caught up with Lucas a short distance away from the beach house and together they'd slowly walked back to town and retrieved her car. Along the way Brooke had hit her favorite liquor stores, always known to be friendly to a pretty girl with a fake ID.

Lucas had refused to go home and since her parents were actually in town, she'd driven over to the bad side of town where there was a strip of dilapidated motels that didn't notice local license plates and underage kids. It was amazing what a credit card and a healthy cash tip did for you, Brooke thought.

Empty bottle in hand, Lucas collapsed on a bed that had definitely seen better days. "So how did you find this roach motel?" he slurred, looking up at her with hazy eyes.

Fighting the urge to get him off the thread bare, stained bedspread, Brooke locked the door behind them and leaned back against the door. "When my parents were getting divorced, I used to stay here when it was too cold to sleep in my car," she reluctantly reveled, hating to share details from that horrible part of her life. The motel wasn't overly clean but it was safer than her house on an average night.

She walked over to the bed and gingerly dropped down beside him, avoiding spilling what was left in his bottle. Lucas felt the world shift a moment as her weight settled on the bed. He ran his hand over her slight frame, luxuriating in the warmth her small body provided. "I'm sorry you were so alone then. I wish I'd known you better so I could have been your friend."

She teared up at his kind words. Even drunk, Lucas was a thoughtful poet. "I wish I'd known you back then, too," she admitted, realizing it had only been 6 months ago that her life had been turned upside. "But I'm here now and I can help you get through your difficult times," she offered.

His chest heaved a moment and she realized in horror that he was crying. Silently, stealthy tears coursed down his cheeks and onto her shoulders. Rolling over, Brooke pulled him closer to her, trying to give him the love and support that he normally gave her. "I'm so sorry, Lucas. I know you have to be devastated by your mom's actions." Brooke didn't have an issue with Dan, but she knew that he was the devil in Luke's eyes.

"I feel so betrayed, Brooke. It's like she chose him over me," he whispered, voicing the fear that he was losing his mother to his own deadbeat dad. It's not like he'd ever seen his mother in bed with anyone, let alone with the man who'd cause them both so much pain over the years. "I just don't want to feel all this pain right now," he said, slowly exhaling into the calm Brooke gave his life. "I don't want to feel anything at all."

She hesitated for a moment, not sure if she wanted to unleash any more chaos into their tumultuous lives. He felt her hesitation and looked down at her face. "What?"

Pulling the small, clear packet out of her pocket, she held it up in front of his tear streaked eyes. "Tim's brother gave me this at the party," she finally admitted.

"What is it?" he asked, knowing that the pills probably weren't aspirin.

"Its ecstasy," she said, staring at the pills with renewed interested. "It's kind of like booze with a kick."

"Have you done a lot of this stuff?" he asked, avoiding the word drug. Drugs were dirty and wrong, but if they offered some solace from his pain, was it really that bad of an idea?

She considered his words for a moment. "I've experimented a bit, but nothing like coke. X is more of a party drug than something you do on a normal basis. It kind of loosens you up and makes you feel good."

Lucas took the packet from her manicured fingers and opened it, examining the seemingly innocuous pills within. "I want to try it," he decided, throwing caution to the wind for once in his overly serious life. "I'm tired of watching everyone else live life while I sit there and watch," he explained to her.

She handed him the bottle of whiskey and watched as he quickly washed the pill down and then handed her the baggie. She popped the pill and pulled him back down to the saggy bed, waiting for the effects of the pill to wash away their pain.

* * *

A late post is better than no post! I'm sick, worked a full day, drove to three different states, raided Ikea and managed to get lost all in one night.

Replies and righteous indignation are always appreciated. I know....she slapped him. Of course, if I'd ever said those words to my mom, I'd been in much worse shape. Perhaps its a generational thing.

Same time, same bat channel next week.


	53. Chapter 53

Cuss words and angst abound. Read with caution if you are sensitive to those kinds of things.

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 53

* * *

The sun crept through the faded yellow curtains in Karen's small kitchen. She absently stirred her coffee, her thoughts drifting back to her missing son. It had been three days since Lucas and his friends walked in on her and Dan. Three days since he stormed out of the beach house and to god knows where.

Sighing, she shoved the steaming coffee across the table and went over the list of people Lucas might be staying with. She and Dan and already combed through all of Luke's friends and none of them had seen either Brooke or Lucas since the after-game party on Friday night. Keith and Anna had also not heard a word from her son.

Karen's eyes were puffy and irritated after two days of constant tears. Desperate, Karen and Dan had driven over to Brooke's house and talked to her parents. She wasn't sure what frightened her more, the fact that they seemed oblivious to the fact that Brooke and Lucas were seriously dating, or the distant formal woman who seemed as cold as the house she lived in. It's not as if Karen was shocked by Katherine's distant demeanor. She'd always been a remote bitch since they were teenagers. Karen's eyes narrowed at the memory of how Katherine's eyes lingered a bit too long on Dan. She stopped a moment at that thought, the idea of actually being possessive about Dan. Feelings she'd thought long dead and buried.

Karen was not one to have casual relationships, but part of her knew that Dan was not a fling. There was a part of her heart that had always belonged to him and it felt natural to give it back, even after so many years and so much pain. Dan had been such a calming influence the past two days. He'd helped her call Luke's friends and then offered soothing back rubs when each call failed to provide a lead on her son. Their son.

The door to the kitchen opened and Lucas hesitated in the doorway, not sure of what he should say to his mother. He'd been gone a few days, which would certainly be an issue for breaking rules. But after the bitch slap she gave him, he wasn't sure if it really mattered. He's spent a glorious weekend with Brooke in a hideous hotel, drinking and sleeping and generally avoiding his home. It's like the world had shifted and Lucas was fighting just to hang on to the edge.

Lucas quietly moved past her, heading towards the beat up refrigerator for some much needed hydration. He'd spent the past two days sunk in the bottom of various fifths of booze, emptying bottle after bottle until he'd passed out in Brooke's arms.

Karen tried not to rush him, tried not to hug him out of relief that he was still alive. She appraised the dark circles under his eyes and his general rumpled appearance. She finally worked up the nerve to speak.

"I know you feel upset and angry over this," she hesitantly began, not prepared when he spun around to face her.

"Angry? ANGRY? I don't feel upset, mom. I feel BETRAYED. That man didn't just walk out on me, he stayed around and watched the train wreck of a childhood I had for 16 years, like it was a fucking spectator sport. He egged his chosen son into direct competition with me when I had the audacity to stop being invisible. And you think I'm upset?" he said, his brows creased in disbelief. How his mother could not understand his pain hurt nearly as much as her sneaking around with his father. "You should have thought about all the times we didn't have enough to eat, or the times the water or electric was cut off because that bastard didn't pay child support. Next time you're sleeping with the enemy, think about all the years he passed us on the street and wouldn't even deign to look at or acknowledge us."

Karen tried to interrupt and defend herself, but found that a difficult thing to do. She knew she'd done some things he'd find hard to forgive. But she honestly believed that peace came through forgiving people. And both she and Lucas had carried around their hatred for long enough. "I gave him a chance, Lucas. Dan's a complicated man. He's never been good at apologizing, but he does feel bad about the past and he wants to be a part of your life."

Lucas shook his head, stunned that his mother was so freaking gullible. "Just like he was going to leave school and come back to you when you were pregnant? Just like he was going to take care of us?" he coldly reminded her, stunned at her ability to color the past because she was lusting after the guy. "I guess you bought his act, but he won't get the time of day from me."

"Lucas, you just need to give him a chance…" she said before he spun around, interrupting her.

"I gave him 16 years, mom. As far as I'm concerned, it's a little too late." He'd spent most of his life hoping that he'd get some kind of acknowledgment from Dan. He'd run to the mailbox every birthday and Christmas, hoping that this would be the year he'd get a card from his father. And every year a small piece of him died inside. "I can't forgive him because there's nothing left inside of me for him but a black, shriveled, bitter corner of my heart. And that's not going to be repaired just because the guy wanted to sleep with you and decided it was time to be nice to me."

Karen tried to wipe an errant tear off his check, but he moved his arms up between them, gently pushing her away. "Lucas, it didn't start out that way at all. It wasn't about us. We were both concerned about you and Nathan. We decided it was time to stop the hatred. Dan's been trying to find ways to connect with you, any way to start a conversation with you. We'd spend all our time at those stupid booster events trying to brain storm ways to smooth things over between the two of you," she explained, desperately wanting to erase the look of hatred she saw in her son's very blue eyes. Eyes that were so much like his father's, if nothing else. "It just sort of grew from there. I don't know what happened, Lucas. Neither of us either thought we'd connect on that level again. But we have, and we're happy. We can give you and Nathan the family that you both desperately need."

Slamming his fist through the plaster and dry wall to the right of her head, Lucas jerked his hand out of the wall before spinning around, barely aware of his scraped and bleeding knuckles. "This isn't a fucking sitcom, Mom. You don't get to rewrite episodes like the past shows never happened. There is nothing that Dan can say or do to make up for the humiliation I've suffered for my entire miserable life in this town. And if you think we're all going to have a happy ending, you are so wrong."

Karen stared at him in disbelief, her eyes traveling from his furious eyes to his swelling hand and back again. He was her little boy, they'd had a special bond from the moment of his birth. And yet, she couldn't deny that this boy, no man, in front of her was a near stranger. "I didn't mean to fall in love, Luke. Sometimes things just happen and there's no logic or reason to it. I know you are upset now, but I honestly believe in time that you can get closure to the past, if you'll just give Dan a chance. He doesn't have to be your dad at first. You can get to know him on a simple basis. You two can work towards acceptance and a relationship later on."

His head shook at her words, trying to ward them off like a cross with a vampire. "What kind of crack has he hooked you on? Can you even hear what you're saying, mom? It's like you've lost contact with reality," he yelled, scared that Karen was falling for Dan's manipulations one last time. Lucas slowly approached her, reaching out to touch her shoulder with his non-bleeding hand. "Dan hasn't got a heart, mom. He walks through life taking what he wants, with little to no regard for anyone else's feelings. It's all about what he wants and what he needs. He's using you for sex and he's attempting to be human to me so that you'll continue to fall for his act. But what happens when he gets bored and walks out again? I can't deal with that, mom. I won't trust him with my heart because he doesn't care about mine or yours."

Karen sniffled at her son's jaded words, wondering if he'd always been so cynical about people. She sensed that this wasn't just about Dan, but more about his view on people's motivations in general. Yet, she'd seen him give Brooke his love and trust. "Luke, you've given your heart to Brooke. Is there anything she could do to you that you'd not try to forgive?"

Lucas considered her question, sad that Karen had to even ask that question. "I'd never give my heart to a person who treated me like crap, mom. I've watched you for too long to want to repeat that cycle. You had a perfectly great guy in Keith and you threw him away in order to pine over his bastard brother, who's brought you nothing but grief for most of your life."

She wiped a tear away from her eyes, knowing that it was a near futile battle. "He gave me you, Luke. And regardless of how things have been for the past 16 years, I've been grateful to him for that. You were the greatest thing we ever created. I know that Dan's made mistakes. He's admitted that to me time and again and he's apologized for the way he abandoned you. But Dan doesn't know how to say those things to you. And you don't make it easy for him either."

Luke's head jerked up as if he'd been shot in the back, his voice rising with his anger. "Make it easy for him? My god, up until two months ago the man made my life hell and you want me to make it easy for him?" He tried to force himself to breathe, to calm down and force his heart to stop pounding so hard. Lucas stepped back, trying to create physical distance to match the growing emotional distance in his heart. He looked Karen directly in the eye. "No. If you want Dan in your life, that's fine. But keep me out of this sick and twisted relationship."

Karen's heart lurched, as she heard something cold and impersonal in her son's words. "Lucas, what are you saying?" she asked in confusion, carefully watching his every move. She wasn't afraid of Lucas, but she was concerned about his state of mind after his fist knocked a hole in her wall.

"I'm saying that if you want to sleep with him and 'date' him, go for it. But don't expect me to participate in any "family" events. He's not my father and Nathan is not my brother. You can't force me to accept either of them. Just keep it away from me," he firmly stated, exuding a calmness he most certainly didn't feel at that moment. Emotion had always been his greatest weakness. The overwhelming need for a father and the dependency on his mother and best friend were all weaknesses that he needed to eliminate from his life.

"Luke, you're scaring me. What are you trying to tell me?" she questioned, though something in her heart sensed the real meaning behind his words. She could have attributed it to her motherly instinct, but a perfect stranger could read the anger on her son's face.

Luke forced a stillness into his voice that was in contrast to his entire demeanor. "I'm 16 and I'll be going off to college shortly. Feel free to do whatever you want with Dan, just don't expect me to come home on holidays or summers to be a part of this sick, dysfunctional relationship. As long as Dan's in your life, I won't be," he softly said, an ultimatum clear in his voice.

Karen's heart nearly stopped at his words. They weren't shouted in anger or hatred, but murmured in utter calm. "You don't mean that, Lucas. You'll always be my baby. We've got a tie that nothing can break."

He slowly shook his head, knowing that she was totally blinded by Dan. "Ties can be broken, mom. You, of all people should know that," Lucas said, watching as Karen stood there, silently shaking. He didn't know if that scared him more than her defense of Dan, or if it was the mere fact that she'd allowed the man to rip their relationship apart in the first place. "I'm not threatening you, mom, or giving you fake ultimatums. But I won't allow myself to be destroyed by Dan Scott. Not any more, not ever again. I'll leave home as soon as I graduate high school, just don't expect me to participate in this disaster while I'm still living here."

She shook her head, as if to deny his words. Lucas was emotional and he was never totally rational when the topic involved Dan. But she also knew Dan and the capacity that he had for love. Dan was a born salesman and she knew that it would just take time for him to crack their son's harsh, distant outer shell. Karen knew that deep inside, Lucas longed for Dan's attention and affection. He just had to try one last time, trust her to know what was best in the long run. "I've raised you to be a better person than this, Luke. I raised you to have a generous heart and to forgive those who hurt you. The anger you've nourished in your heart towards Dan is destructive and it's going to do you more harm than him in the long run. You just need to try one last time and forgive your father for not being the person you wanted him to be."

Lucas wiped his still bleeding hand on his jeans; oblivious to the pain the friction between torn flesh and denim caused him. He didn't feel anything, hadn't felt anything for a long time. He was numb inside and had been for the past year or so. Lucas remained silent, staring at the floor. He considered his mom's words a moment, before looking up and staring her directly in the eye. "Some people are worthy of forgiveness, mom. People like Keith and that stupid accident that you felt was worth lying about. I forgave you for that deception. But the deception about you and Dan is something I may never accept."

Her face contorted at his words, as a sudden fear griped her heart. This wasn't totally about his anger towards Dan or the change in his parent's relationship. Some of his unyielding anger was aimed at her, too. "Are you saying that you'll never forgive me for that decision?" she hesitantly asked, not sure that she really wanted an answer. Sometimes lies were a far kinder thing than truth.

He silently headed for the door, feeling the need to escape, to find some air that wasn't so polluted with toxic regret and lies. He needed Brooke. She was the one person who'd take his side and not tell him he was wrong to be hurt and angry at Karen's decision to forgive Dan. He hesitated as he pulled the door open and turned back toward her. "I don't know if I'll ever fully forgive you. I just don't know." Looking at her with something akin to true confusion, Lucas shrugged his shoulders as he pulled the door shut, effectively cutting her out of his soul. He had to find Brooke. He needed the one person he truly believed in, the only person who'd not betrayed his trust.

The door opened behind him as his feet hit the sidewalk. He could hear Karen calling out to him, cajoling him back to her with empty words. Angrily swatting tears away from his eyes, he broke into a run, out of a deep seeded need to get away from her voice. He had to find Brooke.

* * *

Great appreciation to all the readers who realize that mixing X with alcohol is a very, very big mistake. I realize that things are looking fairly dark at this point, but it took 16 years for this to happen and it won't be resolved quickly. Thanks for reading and replying.


	54. Chapter 54

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 54

* * *

The early morning light bounced off the shiny floor of the Scott's breakfast room. Silence pervaded the room as Dan and Nathan forced their way through breakfast. Dan had carefully managed to avoid his son all weekend, finding it too awkward to discuss that he and Karen were together in that way. But it was the start to a new week and Dan always tried to have breakfast with his son on school days. Just because his sons knew about his relationship with Karen was no reason to hide, he thought. Sighing, Dan realized he was tired of hiding, tired of covering up his true feelings.

Nathan shoved the rubbery eggs around his plate, forcing himself to remain silent. There was nothing more horrifying that realizing that your parents were sexual beings. Unless it was the girl you were trying to impress seeing your father nearly naked on the floor of your house.

"You need to eat something or you'll be dead by practice time," Dan lectured his son, going on the defensive. Dan could tell that Nathan was upset about Friday night. Nathan had left shortly after Lucas, claiming that Haley had a curfew to get home for. Dan knew it was just an excuse to get out of the beach house, but now he was practically spoiling for a confrontation. After all, it was the Dan Scott way to confront rather than ignore. While it was impossible for him to have an open conversation with Lucas, Nathan was firmly within his grasp.

Dropping his fork, Nathan pushed his plate away in frustration. "I'm surprised you aren't Luke's house making him sucky eggs for breakfast." There was a surprising amount of hostility in his younger son's voice.

Dan set his juice glass down, happy to drop the pretense. "Okay, I know you probably have some questions."

"Questions?" Nathan repeated, incredulous at his dad's denseness. "Okay, here's a question. Why Karen? Of all the desperate middle age women in this town, you had to go fuck my half brother's mother."

Dan recoiled at the profanity lobed at him. Nathan had a wild streak in him but he rarely resorted to coarse language. "I am only 35, which is not middle aged," Dan argued, before softening at the disappointment he heard in his son's voice. "It's not unusual that I'd want to start dating again." This was a conversation Dan had expected to have at some point after Deb's death. He just didn't expect it to occur so many years after he lost his wife.

"Dating is not the issue," Nathan said, leaning back in his chair. "Dating the girl you knocked up and abandoned 17 years ago is the issue." He couldn't understand why his dad didn't see the danger signs hanging all around this issue.

Dan flinched at his son's harsh words, but part of him understood Nate's anger. He'd never seen his dad with another woman and it had to be confusing. The parental side of Dan still chaffed at being challenged by his offspring.

"Karen and I have a complicated past, Nathan." He hesitated for a moment, not knowing how far down this road he wanted to travel. "We were deeply in love and part of that affection never went away."

A realization washed over Nathan. "Are you saying that you loved Karen when you married my mother?" It was one thing for his dad to be playing house with Luke's mother, but it was another thing to denigrate the memory of his mother.

Dan struggled to find the right answers, the answers his son obviously needed. He had loved Deb in his own way but his feelings for Karen had always been intense and all encompassing. "You don't stop those feelings just by going away. You of all people should understand that," Dan said, knowing that Nate's love for his mother was just as constant.

Pushing away from the table, Nathan grabbed his backpack and headed for the door, disgusted by his father's explanations. "You are insulting my mother and creating a giant mess."

Dan fought the urge to hit something, realizing that this conversation was rapidly falling apart. "Nathan, it's really none of your business who I date," he gently reprimanded his son, knowing that his mother's memory was always something he needed to preserve.

"It is my business when your relationship upsets Lucas. It screws up my team and my life when I have to deal with a half brother that is pissed off." Nathan could barely tolerate Lucas on a good day. A pissed off Lucas was just setting the brothers up for disaster. Shaking his head, Nathan stalked outside and drove off, intent on finding Haley. She always managed to calm him down. Dan and Karen were apparently going to do what they wanted to do, regardless of who they hurt in the process. That was apparent by the fact that they felt the need to hide their relationship.

Dan watched from the bay window in the kitchen as his son sped off in his SUV. As bad as things were with Nathan, they were bound to be much worse with Lucas. His oldest son had disappeared for an entire weekend because of his actions. He knew he had to address the situation soon. Lucas was the one thing that could derail what he and Karen were trying to build, which was ironic since he was the reason they started hanging out again.

His frustration with his oldest son was growing, even though Dan could understand his anger. He'd created this situation by abandoning the boy. He just had to give him time, to let the boy see he wasn't going anywhere.

In the mean time, he needed some advice on how to handle the boy and there was only one place he could get that. He grabbed his keys and headed out to his car, hoping that he could start fixing the sins of his past.

* * *

Brooke grabbed her Steve Madden bag and quietly made her way down the massive main staircase She sighed in relief as her small hand turned the polished brass door know, happy to be escaping unseen from the house of horrors. She and Lucas had crawled back to town Monday morning, barely sober and very odorous. They'd already started to refer to it as their lost weekend. Now it was time to pay the price and whatever school threw at them for being late to class.

"Brooke," Trey called out, his voice drifting out of his office and down the marble entryway. Tensing up, Brooke abandoned her escape and walked toward her stepfather's office. It was highly unlikely that he had anything good to say to her and it was too early in the day for him to hit on her.

She needed to get back to Lucas, so they'd both get to History class on time. They had a midterm at the end of the week and things were looking bad for both of them academically. Somehow, none of it seemed important to Brooke anymore.

She stepped inside the cherry paneled office, fighting the memories of happier times when this was her daddy's domain. She took in the man behind the desk with more scorn than interest. "What?" She tersely asked. It wasn't like they ever had a normal conversation.

He dropped the file he was perusing, noting the way her jeans skimmed her figure. "Would you like to explain your little disappearing act this weekend?" he demanded, walking around the desk so he was closer to her.

Brooke unconsciously took a step backward, attempting to create space. "I'm shocked anyone noticed that I was missing," she admitted, knowing that it wasn't like her mother or Trey ever spent any time with her.

A smirk crossed his face at her words. "Oh, it's easy to miss you when your boyfriend's parents come pounding on your door at midnight," he explained, realizing she had no idea that at least Luke's parents missed him. "Your mother does not need this stress in her life, so next time you decide to run off with your little friend, try to take her feelings into consideration."

Brooke stared at him in shock. "Stress? What stress does this woman have in her life? She has no job, shops all day and basically lives off the family trust fund. Why shouldn't I add some stress to her life," Brooke yelled, losing her control. "It's called parenting and maybe she should realize it involves more than just giving me an allowance."

He moved closer to her, so close that she could feel his breath on her cheek. "Be a good girl and don't make me spank you," he leered, his words dripping with innuendo. Brooke's heart lurched, knowing that he had some seriously sick tendencies. "You are a skeevy pervert, Trey. Stay away from me or I'll call my daddy and tell him what's going on." She felt braver than she had since that night…

"Go ahead and call him," Trey replied, not missing a beat at her threat. He picked up a check from his desk and threw it at her, watching as it floated to the floor and came to rest at her BCBG shoes. "By the way, daddy took off for an extended vacation in Europe with his new wife, so I don't think he's got the time to listen to a whiny girl complain about her stepfather's discipline after she ran away for the weekend."

Brooke looked down and realized it was her monthly "fun" check from her father. Hating herself, she actually leaned over and picked it up, giving Trey a nice look at her ass. Something was telling her that for the first time in her life, she actually needed to start paying attention to things like money and finances. It might be more relevant than new shoes in the future. She gave him a nasty look before turning and running out of the house.

* * *

Lucas meandered down the hallway, lost in thought after the confrontation with his mother that morning. She'd been too busy defending her lover to ground him, but he could only expect that to happen later. His mother was not one to take her son disappearing for an entire weekend without some kind of reaction. Sighing, he realized that he didn't care anymore. He couldn't please his mother and he wasn't about to condone her sleeping with his ass of a father. He heard some nervous, muffled laughter and realized that two band geeks were staring at his disheveled appearance. He'd totally forgotten that he'd only gone home that morning in order to shower. Shrugging, he realized that it wouldn't be the first time people laughed at his appearance. In elementary school it had been his cheap flannel shirts and generic tennis shoes. In middle school it had been jokes about the trailer he and his mother had briefly lived in after his mom quit her factory job in order to open her Café. Their house had been a recent occurrence, giving him a bit of stability that his early life had totally missed.

His mother had worked so hard to make a decent living and now she was willing to throw that way in order to sleep with the man who put her in that very situation. Lucas was totally lost in thought and nearly collided with Haley, who was at her locker between classes.

"Hey stranger," she called out, pulling him over to where she stood. Ignoring his rumpled look and the circles under his eyes, she decided to go with normalcy. "It's about time you made it to school. We missed you in English class," she said, smiling at him as she slid a book in her backpack. His lack of reaction scared her. She reached out and grabbed his hand, fighting to save the tendrils of their relationship. "Lucas, I love you like a brother, you know that. I'm worried about you. The leaving home for days at a time and the drinking… I just want you to know that you can come to me and tell me what's going on in that mind of yours," she offered, hoping that he'd take her up on it. He needed someone to share his pain with. Someone other than the lovely Brooke Davis, who seemed to need her own support team these days.

He leaned back against the lockers and looked over at her. "Do you remember when we read that story in middle school about the crazy governess and the kids?" Haley frowned a moment, before remembering the title. _Turn of the Screw_ by Henry James. What's that got to do with you?"

"If I can recall, the book describes this nanny whose two charges are evil and constantly doing things to drive her crazy," Luke explained, watching as Haley eyes widened at the same thought. "But at the end of the book you realize that the governess was just crazy and the two kids were kind of nice."

Haley realized that he was talking about more than the plot of a book. He leaned over and said "I feel like I'm trapped in a Turn of the Screw moment….where I know what reality is but everyone else around me is crazy. They don't want to hear my reasons or thoughts."

She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer to her. "We all have weeks where we feel like we're trapped in a parallel universe." He followed her lead and start walking toward class. Maybe everyone else had a screwed up life, too. But part of Luke's mind screamed out that this wasn't right. Things weren't normal. And that things were going to get much worse before they got better. He loitered outside his class, praying that Brooke would walk by. He didn't know why…but he knew she'd make him feel better.

* * *

Just a note about future chapters. I'm going to be traveling a lot for work this summer and later on I'll be studying for a very important certification. I can't promise that chapters will be posted once a week, especially when I'm traveling. I will do my best to keep posting and writing (I do some of my best writing when I travel). As always, thanks for reading and replying. The comments will keep me motivated to write when I'm trapped in a hotel with my coworkers.


	55. Chapter 55

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 55

* * *

Students filed out of the high school, taking advantage of the last vestiges of sun the late fall day was giving them. Fall was moving toward winter, hinting at the cooler weather and shorter days to come.

Brooke leaned against the giant oak tree in the quad, waiting for Lucas. Having missed the first half of school, neither she nor Lucas was eligible for after school activities. She knew she couldn't go home but she hoped that she and Lucas might waste the rest of the day together. Together was always better than facing the world alone, she cynically thought.

A hand slowly grazed her shoulder, causing Brooke to shriek. Ignoring the curious stares of the students that milled around them, Brooke turned to see a concerned Nate.

"God, Brooke. Why are you so jumpy?" His eyes searched hers for a moment, genuinely disturbed about her reaction. "You squealed like a scalded pig," he said, before realizing that she was probably still upset about the incident with her step brother.

Taking one steadying breath after another, Brooke leaned back against the ancient oak tree, trying to regain her balance. She hated being touched, especially when she wasn't unexpecting it.

"It's no biggie, Nate," she said, downplaying her reaction by looking at the ground to avoid his probing expression.

He saw through the pretenses she was attempting to erect. "You thought I was your creepy step-brother, didn't you?" Nathan asked, seeing how badly he'd frightened her. Her small frame was still shaking despite the calming breaths Brooke was forcing down.

She looked up at him, seeing the hurt in his gentle blue eyes. "No, Nate. I didn't think you were him. I'm just really high strung since that night." And every night she was forced to stay in that house with her stepfather. The threat of her stepbrother had morphed insidiously into that of his father.

Nate dropped his backpack in order to grab her tiny hand. "I'm worried about you, Brooke," he softly admitted. "You're drinking nonstop, you've stopped hanging out with old friends…" his voice trailed off at the angry response his words garnered.

"Old friends like Peyton, who is spreading lies about me or old friends like you, who've moved on to better things?" she crisply questioned, nodding over to the edge of the quad, where Haley stood watching them. Brooke could feel the girl willing Nathan back to her side like a loyal spaniel.

The fact that she questioned his loyalty hurt, especially after all the times he'd helped her out lately. "I don't know why you are mad at me for spending time with Haley when you've all but formed a suicide pact with Lucas."

She moved away from him, huffing indignantly at his comments about her relationship. "We are not a suicide pact. He just understands my problems."

Nathan considered her words for a moment. "I understand your problems, Brooke. But instead of talking to me, you isolate yourself with Lucas. You're hardly ever in class or at cheer practice." A part of him felt like their friendship was slipping through his fingers.

Brooke unconsciously wrapped her arms around her waist, always prepared to protect herself. "I just don't want to be around people right now. It takes too much effort to fake being me."

He seemed taken back by her words. "Why do you have to fake being you? I kind of like the real Brooke," he gently reminded her, wishing she'd stop being the popular stereotype she'd become.

Sighing, she looked up into his concerned, nonjudgmental eyes. At the end of the day when everything in her life had fallen apart, she knew she could trust Nate. "Because I don't like the real me," she admitted, feeling slightly liberated by the truth of the moment. "I spend most of my day feeling stupid and dirty, like I'm worthless."

Nathan stared at her in shock, not sure that he'd ever considered that Brooke carried such pain and self doubt. "No one could ever think you were dirty or worthless, Brooke."

She slowly sank onto the concrete bench next to the tree. "My mom thinks that. So does Peyton. My own father doesn't care if I need him," she explained. "That's why Luke understands me. We both know what it's like to deal with parents that don't care."

"I'm not defending Dan and Karen but I think it's a stretch to say that they don't care about Lucas," Nathan declared. He couldn't say that his father was involved with Lucas but he knew that his father had watched him over the years.

Lucas stepped out from behind Nathan, dragging a reluctant Haley with him. "Of course it's not a stretch to say they are putting their hormones before their kids, otherwise we wouldn't be walking in on them naked," Lucas caustically replied, still horrified that his friends had seen his mother in such a situation.

Seeing the train wreck about to happen, Haley attempted to stop the conversation. "Lucas, Nathan can't stop Dan and Karen from being together," she began, only get cut off by her friend.

"Together," Lucas incredulously said. "Together? Haley, if you have to resort to using euphemisms you'll never loose your virginity."

Haley unconsciously took a step backwards toward Nathan.

"Harsh much," Brook commented, giving Lucas a nasty look. "Virgin bashing isn't cool, Lucas." Her meager attempt to stand up for Haley wasn't appreciated, by the look of death that Haley gave both of them. Of course half of their classmates were standing around listening. Brooke wouldn't want that many people to know she was a virgin either.

Nathan angrily moved past Haley and shoved his half brother backward. "If you want to fight, I'll be more than happy to kick your ass, but I'm sick of you taking your anger out on Haley," Nate said, referring to the night in the Café when Lucas alluded to the entire room that Haley was sleeping with him.

Haley quickly stepped in between the two brothers, determined to avoid another fight. Besides, she didn't need Nathan fighting what had obviously become her battle. Ignoring the gawking cliques of students, she turned her attention toward Lucas. "If you want to be an ass like Dan, that's fine. But don't ever speak to me again like that or you'll lose a friend."

Lucas stared at the ground, listening to Nathan protest as Haley dragged him toward the parking lot. Sighing, he looked over at Brooke, expecting to get yelled at. Being yelled at was the only thing he did well anymore.

"You screwed up big time, Luke," she simply stated. "That was a really horrible thing to say to your best friend." Brooke didn't know many virgins, but she was fairly sure it wasn't contagious.

He leaned back against the old oak tree, feeling the bark as if he'd donned a medieval hair shirt. "I know. It's like I can't control what comes out of my mouth." Brooke gave him a sympathetic look as she walked him toward her car.

"Not to mention that Haley's an easier target than your mom or Dan." He couldn't fool Brooke. She knew who the real focus of his anger was.

Luke's shoulders sank even more, realizing that his words were decidedly misplaced. "Is there anything short of leaving town that would make this better?"

She considered his words seriously for a moment. "There are days when I think the only sane thing to do is leave town." They walked to her car in silence.

* * *

Keith warily approached Dan, who was standing at the center of the Rivercourt, looking very out of place in his grey worsted suit.

"Thanks for meeting me, big brother," Dan greeted him, his best sleazy salesman smile plastered on his face. The smile warned Keith that something was up.

"What have you done now?" Keith skeptically asked. Dan, for all his bluster, always ran to his big brother when his life was falling apart.

Dan moved over to the bleachers and dejectedly sat down. Keith silently followed, knowing that his brother must have screwed up big time. "Is this about Luke's weekend disappearing act?" Dan and Karen had called him late Friday night, frantically searching for Lucas. Karen let him know earlier that day that she'd finally found Luke, but Keith couldn't help but worry. Lucas had always been a good kid. The changes in his behavior were striking to those who really knew him.

Hedging, Dan actually looked a bit sheepish at his older brother's words. "He sort of stumbled over something that upset him."

"What did he stumble over?" Keith asked, confused about the various pieces of information he'd been given. He knew that Dan and Karen were hiding too much of the past from his nephew. He could only assume that Lucas was finding out information he didn't like.

Color flooded Dan's face, as embarrassment a rare state for Dan Scott. "Well, he kind of stumbled over us," Dan explained. Seeing a blank look on his brother's face, he elaborated.

"Nate and Lucas walked in on Karen and I at the beach house and we weren't exactly talking" he admitted, happy that he could finally share what was going on with someone. Dan's personality didn't exactly lend itself to making friends. Deb's death led to a self imposed isolation that he'd never really broken.

Keith looked incredulously at his younger brother. "Lucas walked in on you having sex with his mother?"

"Well, not really," Dan explained. "We were kind of in the naked afterglow." Keith winced at his brother's words. "It wasn't a good situation," Dan concluded.

"That's probably the understatement of the century," Keith commented. "I knew the two of you getting together was going to hurt Lucas.

Dan looked up at him in surprise. "We thought we were being discreet," he insisted.

Keith sighed in frustration. "It's Tree Hill, Dan. There are no secrets in towns this small." He was angry at Karen. No one had any expectations that Dan Scott would do what was best for his son, but Karen should have avoided Dan all together. She should have known better.

Dan shifted to damage control mode. "What's done is done. We just need to find a way to calm Lucas down," Dan decided. He was too close to mending all his past sins to blow it because a teenage boy was upset. He just needed time to show Lucas that he really wanted to get to know him and be a father to him.

"Are you going to break things off with Karen?" Keith asked, shaking Dan out of his reverie. Keith couldn't conceive of them actually trying to resurrect their past relationship with Lucas standing in the way.

Dan thought about his brother's question. "I don't want to stop seeing her," he honestly admitted. "For the first time in eight years, I'm totally happy."

"Is your happiness worth your son's happiness?" Keith asked, not sure if Dan was capable of putting anyone above his own needs and wants.

"Is it my fault that the kid can't let things go?" Dan angrily said, frustrated that this was the one deal he couldn't sell.

Keith smirked at his brother's words. "Oh yes. I forgot that you've been a father to him for what now, two months? I'm sure that Luke's totally forgotten the 16 years you ignored him," Keith countered, knowing that Lucas would not let go of his pain after only a few months of Dan trying to be a part of his life. "Especially in light of you having a relationship with his mother."

Dan kicked at a tuff of grass under his shiny black shoe for a moment, considering his options. "It's not like we're in a relationship," he argued.

"Dan, you know Karen doesn't sleep around, contrary to the rumors you spread about her 16 years ago. If she's sleeping with you, she's got feelings for you," Keith concluded. He'd dated her for six months without getting that far.

Leaning back, Dan frowned at the implication of a relationship. "I honestly don't know where this is going, but I want to be with Karen and I think she wants to be with me." He liked the idea of living with Karen and getting both his sons under the same roof. He could focus on his family and not be so preoccupied with the son he left behind.

Keith shook his head. "You need to sit down with Karen and figure out where this is going. I would also suggest that you consider talking to Luke. He probably feels betrayed," Keith said, getting to his feet. "I need to check on Anna before her lunch break is over," he said as they walked toward their cars.

Dan pulled himself out of his own problems long enough to ask about his sister in law. "How's the pregnancy going?"

"She's just getting through the worst of the morning sickness. The doctor says things are progressing normally." Keith remembered how dreadfully sick Karen had been with Lucas. She's spent most of her pregnancy throwing up. Keith was happy that Anna seemed healthier and stronger than he remembered with Karen. With Deb and Karen's pregnancy problems, Keith felt very lucky that his wife and child were doing well thus far.

Dan reached out and grabbed his older brother's arm. "I'm really happy for you, big brother. I know you've always wanted a kid."

Keith stared at Dan for a moment, before moving away. "I always had a kid, Dan." He watched silently as his brother drove off, knowing that he had a lot of work to do to make this situation right.

* * *

A chapter! I got in earlier than expected from my trip, so I decided to post. Comments, thoughts and bad karma for Dan are gladly accepted. Or maybe you could just send that to Mark S.

Thanks for reading!


	56. Chapter 56

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 56

* * *

_"Tired of wishes, empty of dreams"_ –Carl Sandburg

Evening fell silently over the Rivercourt as Brooke and Lucas cuddled on the bleachers next to the worn pavement.

Sighing, Brooke glanced away from the stars and up at the boy whose arms securely protected her from the world. "Our English papers aren't getting written out here," she noted, wondering where the last 4 hours had gone. She was having trouble keeping track of anything lately. Things like cheerleading practice and homework just didn't seem very important to her when she was preoccupied with the drama in her life.

Lucas nestled his face in her hair. He could stay like this forever. Why worry about homework when you could spend time with a girl like Brooke Davis? "I'm not really thinking about school right now," he whispered, tracing her dimples with his finger.

It had taken time for Brooke to welcome his touch. She wasn't used to his gentle caresses and her mind always panicked when she felt anyone touch her. But she trusted Lucas with every fiber of her being and she knew he'd never hurt her like that. Unlike the boys she'd partied with after she was raped, Lucas cared for her.

She shifted position so she was facing Luke. "Can you tell me why we aren't having sex?" she asked, her sultry voice filling the slight distance between them.

He ran his hand up her leg, wondering the exact thing. "I don't know," he slowly admitted. She was so beautiful in that moment that it left his chest tight and his heart constricted. "I just want everything to be perfect when it finally happens." Every relationship in his life sucked at the moment. He didn't want to do anything to drive Brooke away from him. She was all he had left.

"Does it bother you that I've slept with other guys?" she asked, wanting to make sure that he didn't have issues with her past. She avoided his eyes, not wanting to see rejection there.

Lucas raised her head so he could look in her eyes. "Brooke, what you've done in the past is none of my business. As long as I'm the only one in the future, then we're solid."

She leaned in and kissed him, lingering a bit as she reluctantly pulled back. "I'm totally into the exclusive thing, as long as we get to the sex part soon."

* * *

Lucas carefully lined up a jump shot, putting a focus into the shot that had been missing from his game for months. His point total in games was suffering, as he missed shots that he normally could have made blindfolded.

"Nice shot," Dan commented, as they watched the ball slid through the hoop and then bounce aimlessly against the worn pavement. "Too bad you aren't hitting that in games." It was the first time he'd attempted to talk to Lucas since he walked in on his parents at the beach house. Dan didn't expect it to be an easy conversation, but he felt the need to push the confrontation to the fore front, rather than sulk about town avoiding him.

Lucas had been so preoccupied that he'd missed the sound of the big black SUV pulling into the parking lot.

"If you are looking for a fight, you'll not get one here," Lucas calmly stated, silently wishing a giant ACME anvil would fall from the sky and crush the arrogant man in front of him.

Dan strove for patience, something he always seemed to lack when he was around his oldest offspring. "Yeah, I hear you save all the fighting for your mother these days." He felt a sudden protectiveness toward Karen that had been missing for years.

A muscle in Luke's face involuntarily twitched. "You'd probably know, seeing how you're all nekid with her lately." The idea of his mother confiding in Dan upset him nearly as much as the thought of her sleeping with the enemy.

Dan kicked at a loose stone, redirecting the anger he felt at the boy's disrespect. "Screaming at your mom isn't going to get rid of me," Dan explained, knowing his words were falling on deaf ears. Lucas didn't want to be rational. It was as if the boy reveled in being mad at the world.

Lucas sneered at his words. "Mom is momentarily deluded, but when push comes to shove, she'll do the right thing." He'd spent all day thinking about Dan and Karen, ignoring class lecturers and friends. Lucas knew that his mom would eventually see the light.

Dan stared at him, seeing a manipulative quality that he'd never associated with his older son. "The right thing?" he questioned, watching the boy in interest.

"Meaning once the novelty of the booty call has worn off, she'll remember what a pathetic loser you are and she'll kick you to the curb," Luke pointedly said.

Dan stalked closer to the boy, angry about the insinuations he was making. "This isn't just sex, Lucas," he snarled. "What Karen and I share goes a lot deeper."

Luke laughed in his dad's face, amused by Dan's self righteous attitude. "Yeah, I'd say it's about 16 years of unpaid child support deep."

Dan pulled back, momentarily confused at the tone in his son's soft reply. "There's a lot you don't know about the custody thing," he began, wanting to defend himself but knowing that it was a hard thing to do without dragging Karen down in Luke's eyes. He needed to avoid causing problems between Karen and Lucas even if it could help to make himself look better in his son's eyes.

Lucas scoffed at his father's words. "I know a lot, Dan. I know what it's like to see your mother working two jobs to pay the rent on a dive of an apartment. I know what it's like to worry about your mom worrying about how to the pay the bills." Dan averted his eyes, unable to deal with his son's pain. In rare moments of truth with Lucas, he could see the wounded child that hid behind the contempt and anger. Pain that his actions had created and nurtured over the years. In the end, it didn't matter that he'd tried to provide financial support years ago. His real crime was not providing emotional support throughout his son's life.

Lucas stopped the rant that was forming in his mind. If he'd not grown so cynical about Dan over the years, he'd have sworn he saw regret on the man's face.

"I can't tell if you are going after me to get to my mom or if you are going after my mom to get to me," Lucas finally concluded, giving voice to his deepest concerns. Either conclusion could potentially be a powder keg to his future.

Dan considered his son's words. "Probably both," he admitted, letting his emotions on the subject finally emerge after decades of being buried. He did want this to work out, but for all of the people involved. It wasn't all about him this time. "I think we could be a real family if you'd just let go of the past."

Lucas shrugged his shoulders, knowing that Dan always wanted what was best for Dan. "Unfortunately, all you've ever given me is the past. I'd hate to get rid of it." His mother might want to get dragged into the black pit that was Dan Scott, but Lucas had no intentions of going with her.

Dan moved closer, jerking Luke's arm as he attempted to walk off. "Don't turn this into a power play, Lucas. You know I hate to lose." He slowly released the boy not meaning to grab him as fiercely as he had.

Lucas took an unconscious step backward, always wanting more distance from the dark giant in front of him. "Funny how I don't tend to view my life as a game, Dan. But then that's all I've ever been to you." He stared at his silent father a moment before stalking off the court, toward home.

* * *

Luke quietly walked through his door, jumping slightly when he realized his mother was sitting at his desk.

"I guess you missed the part about curfew," she quietly said, still shaken by their fight earlier that morning. It was one thing to be late, but Karen was still fuming about her son going missing for an entire weekend.

Lucas moved toward his closet, dumping his basketball on the floor as he slid off his court shoes. "If you want to yell, start with your boyfriend. He's the reason I'm late," Lucas said, tossing his jacket on the bed.

She watched as he moved restlessly around the room, clearly upset with her. She wasn't sure what Dan was doing, but it apparently hadn't calmed their son down. She could feel his anger from across the room.

Karen decided to try another tactic. "Your principal called me at work today," she said, finally gaining his attention. "He told me that if your grades don't get better and if you don't stop skipping school that you'll be kicked off the team."

Lucas could tell his mother was upset. His grades had always been a source of great pride for her. Luke had never been in trouble at school, but she failed to connect his recent problems with the reemergence of Dan in his life. Part of him knew his lack of concentration at school was his preoccupation with his fucked up family. But he was also hurt that his mother couldn't see how the Dan thing was messing up his life.

"Maybe I should quit the team," he quietly said, finally getting a reaction out of his mother. He was tired of basketball being held over him like a treat for a dog in order to get a desired behavior.

Karen looked at him with her best disappointed mother expression. "Don't throw your life away in order to make a point with Dan."

Grabbing his towel, he headed for the bathroom, intent on getting away. "Maybe he's not the one needing a point, Mom."

* * *

Brooke slipped inside the door, hoping to quietly make her way to her room before anyone noticed she was home. She stopped, hearing the familiar staccato taps of her mother's couture shoes on the marble floor. She slowly turned around in defeat, knowing that a confrontation was brewing.

"Brookie," Trey called out, using the weasely sing song voice she'd grown to dread. "Say good-bye to your mother."

Brooke froze, seeing the stacks of Louis Vuitton luggage in the foyer. "Where are you going?" she quietly asked, dread filling her body at the lack of Trey's brown leather luggage next to her mom's.

Her mother smiled at her absently, gathering her purse and carry ons. "Brooke, darling, you know this is my annual trip to New York with the girls," she chided, disappointed in daughter's lack of memory.

Brooke's eyes narrowed at her mother's words. If it wasn't shopping with her sorority sisters it was some other lame excuse to leave Tree Hill.

Her mother stopped obsessing about her luggage for a moment and actually paused to look at her daughter's sallow complexion and dark ringed eyes. "Try to get some rest, dear. You look terribly common."

Trey walked over to where Brooke stood and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Don't worry about Brookie, Katherine," he smoothly said, tightening his grip around the frail girl. "You are leaving her in excellent hands."

* * *

Karen stood aimlessly in her kitchen, uneasy in the stillness that pervaded the house. Normally, the sounds of Lucas' music wafted throughout the house. Tonight, her son had taken a shower and entombed himself in his room. She'd checked a few minutes ago and found him sound asleep. It bothered her that he'd probably not done his homework as much as it concerned her that he was asleep so early.

Feeling lightheaded, she leaned back against the sink, fighting a wave of nausea. The stress of the situation with Lucas was taking a toll on her health. She jumped slightly as she heard a light tap on the back door.

Seeing Dan on the porch, she quickly moved outside, before they woke Lucas up for yet another round of fighting. "It's late," she said, looking back over her shoulder toward her son's room. Dan pulled the door closed and motioned her toward the steps.

"I'm sorry about the time, but I wanted you to know I tried to talk to Lucas tonight," he slowly began before Karen cut him off with an irritated wave of her hand. "I talked to him before he went to bed. I assume it didn't go well?" Karen wanted to hear what had taken place between the two.

Sighing, Dan leaned back against the worn railing of the steps. "I just tried to get a conversation going," he explained, knowing that the subtext was deeper than that. It was hard to explain the dynamic between father and sons. The need for independence wrapped inside the need for security. "He's upset that we're together."

Karen abruptly looked up at him. "Together? What did you tell him about us?" she asked, her curiosity growing by the minute. Karen had refused to create an "us" out of this situation. They were having sex regularly, but she wouldn't allow herself to think of them as "together".

Dan smiled at her reaction, knowing that her panic stemmed from the confusion surrounding what they were doing. Hell, he didn't even know what they were doing at this point. He just felt an overwhelming need to keep it going and not lose what they'd rediscovered in the past few months. "He thinks I'm using you to get to him," Dan said.

She stared at him in the dim light of the porch, trying to read his thoughts and gauge his true intent. "Are you doing that?"

He reached over and grabbed her hand, knowing that words always failed him in situations like this. "I feel like I've been given a second chance, Karen. With you and with Lucas. I'm afraid that if I lose one of you, I'll end up losing both of you." He looked over at her in uncertainty. "What do you want?" he asked.

"I feel like I'm getting attached to you again," she admitted. "But I don't like sneaking around behind Luke's back. However, I can't let things with Luke get any worse." Karen felt like they were hiding from everyone in town, as well as from their friends and family. Her head was pounding with all the thoughts racing through her mind.

"Karen, I promise you right now. I'm going to make it better with Lucas." His words trailed off as he noticed Karen's pale complexion. "Are you feeling okay?"

She shook off the wave of nausea and grasped his hand in return. "I think I'm getting that flu that's going around." Dan's eyes searched her body for other signs of illness. "Let's get you back inside. We can worry about the details later," he said, as he helped her up the stairs and into the house.

* * *

Thanks for reading and replying!


	57. Chapter 57

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 57

* * *

_The best laid plans..._

The Café was a cacophony of sound as the dinner rush moved toward the door. Karen smiled vaguely at Haley who was at the register with a customer. She moved back into the kitchen, taking a moment to lean against a wall. Sighing, she forced back the tears that she'd been fighting all night. She'd finally gotten to a point where life wasn't an every day struggle. While she and Lucas weren't rich, they could at least afford a few non-necessities like cable television. And now all of that was threatened by a curious lack of reality on her part. Stifling the tears, she took a deep breath to calm her stomach and attempted to regain her composure in order to close up.

Dan walked slowly into the Café, a bit unsure of his welcome in Karen's place of business. He's not seen or spoken to Karen in nearly 3 weeks. He wasn't sure if they were fighting or just going through a period of adjustment. Avoidance had crept back into their relationship and he found it easier to make excuses than to push through yet another problem. In his more cynical moments, Dan realized that he could handle just about any challenge with Karen, but the added strain of Lucas made even routine issues more difficult. The distance between them was so artificial, like neither of them could figure out why things were so tense. Not knowing how to ease the tension, they had reverted back to their old pattern of silence and avoidance. And that made Dan very sad. He'd grown used to eating with Karen and his sons every Monday night. Now he was back to picking up frozen lasagnas from the grocery store for him and Nathan. There seemed to be an unfillable void in his life when Karen wasn't around.

Haley turned toward the door and smiled as she saw her boyfriend's father hovering in the threshold. "Hey Mr. Scott," she greeted, noticing the scalded puppy look on his face. His unease explained Karen's moodiness the past few weeks, she thought. "Are you here to eat or talk to Karen?"

"I guess I'm here to talk to Karen," he quietly said, so unlike the indomitable man she'd grown to know. Haley felt sorry for everyone involved in the Scott family mess. She understood Luke's anger at his parents, but she realized that Dan and Karen seemed to be happier when they were near each other. Her energies were better spent supporting Nathan, as he seemed to be left out of the daily strife surrounding his father and brother.

Haley tossed her apron on the counter, having wiped down the counters and reconciled the evening's receipts. "Can you tell Karen that I'm heading out?" she asked. She normally would stay and linger over the clean up to discuss the day with Karen. Given the state of her boss's emotions and the look on Dan's face, the best thing for her to do was leave and give them some privacy.

Dan nodded at her appreciatively and headed back toward the Café's kitchen. He hesitated in the doorway, not seeing Karen in the small kitchen area. Hearing a sound from the bathroom, he rushed over toward the small room.

Karen leaned back against the wall of the bathroom, momentarily worn out from the latest round of nausea. The past few weeks had been a nightmare for her, both physically and emotionally. It was as if the past was rearing its ugly head and mocking her present success. Hearing a noise, she glanced up and saw a concerned Dan in the doorway.

Kneeling down, Dan reached over and brushed his hand against her forehead. "Are you alright?" he asked, instinctively knowing that things weren't all right and hadn't been for several weeks.

Shoving him away, Karen instead focused on stilling her shaking hands. "No, I'm not okay. And I won't be for a while." Her words echo those spoken 16 years before in a high school gymnasium. Dan's eyes grew wider as he comprehended what she was really saying. Shocked, he could only stare at her.

He finally found his voice. "Are you saying that you're pregnant?" His question was simple, his words echoing the past. She let herself be pulled to her feet and quickly moved out into the relative sanctuary of the kitchen.

"I took a test last week," she admitting, having the grace not to look him in the eye. The results of the test still shocked her. The shock stemmed from a combination of being pregnant sixteen years after her first child along with the state of the baby's conception.

Dan took a step backward. "You've known that you were pregnant with my baby for a week and you're just now telling me?" There was an accusatorial tone to his words and even worst thoughts to accompany it. "Were you going to tell me?"

She winced at his tone for a moment before responding. "Yeah, 'cause it worked out so well the last time I told you." Some pains could be healed by time and kind gestures but other wounds never went away.

Leaning against the wall, Dan considered her words. "I'm sorry. I have no right to be so judgmental." They stood there a moment in awkward silence before she turned away, tears streaking down her face. Walking up behind her, Dan hesitated a moment before putting his arms around her shoulders, folding her into his embrace. They remained there, frozen in time, her tears dropping on his hands. Dan's mind raced at the implications of his impending fatherhood. He sucked at being a parent. He was horrible at putting anyone's needs above his own. And he had two emotionally wounded sons to show for his past parenting efforts. Why would any reasonable power that be give him another chance, so late in life after so many failures?

Her sniffling finally broke the silence, prompting Dan to attempt some kind of comfort. "It's going to be okay, Kar. We'll figure things out." He wanted her to know that they were in this together, for better or worse. Unlike the past, the idea of being a parent didn't seem unpleasant. If anything, he was more prepared to handle a baby now than when he was a kid.

She finally pushed away from him, fighting the panic that had been her constant companion for nearly 3 weeks. "It won't be okay," she firmly stated with only a slight sign of hysteria in her voice. "Lucas is going to go ballistic when I tell him."

He considered her words and realized she was probably right. Lucas couldn't stand the idea of Dan coming to the Café for dinner. He was afraid that the boy would spontaneously combust if he found out there was another tangible tie between his parents. "What are you going to tell him?" Dan asked out of curiosity. "Will you tell him that you are having a baby? Or that we're having a baby?"

Karen looked into his blue eyes and shook her head in confusion. "He'll know you're the father, Dan. It's not like I'm sleeping with anyone else." She forced herself to breathe, knowing that all their lives were going to change. Her fear about Luke's reaction clouded nearly all thoughts from her mind, including any semblance of joy.

"Are you going to let me be part of the baby's life?" Dan asked, almost fearing her answer. He'd put himself out there 16 years before and gotten nothing but hatred in return.

Watching Lucas and Dan over the past months had convinced Karen that she'd made horrible decisions in the past. She'd divided father and son and the results nearly destroyed all of them. She wasn't going to repeat history by cutting Dan out of his baby's life. "You can be as involved as you want to be," she vaguely replied, not wanting to beg him to be part of her baby's life yet again. She'd done that with Lucas and she couldn't bear to plead with Dan to be a father again.

Dan stared at her with an appraising eye. Two could play this game, he thought. "I want joint custody." He didn't want to spend another 16 years regretting his decisions. He could barely sleep at night worrying about Lucas and Nathan and he didn't need another failure chasing his peace away.

She slowly nodded, watching as a giant smile broke out over Dan's face. "We're having a baby," he exclaimed, reaching out to grab her hand. For some reason, for the first time in four babies, Dan finally understood the normal happiness that came with such news. He wasn't a kid anymore, but a grown man with enough resources to take care of a child.

Karen smiled at his reaction, taking comfort in the fact that someone was happy. Every time she let herself relax about the future, thoughts about Lucas generally colored her thoughts. Then she thought about how difficult her pregnancy with Luke had been and started freaking out again. That was 16 years ago and she could only fear how difficult this pregnancy would be. She looked up at Dan and those thoughts melted away. "I hope this one is less difficult," she confessed, fearing the wrath of both their sons.

* * *

Haley stretched out on the leather couch, snuggling back into Nathan's large, warm body. The wind made the branches of the elm tree outside tap lightly against the windows, giving a slightly eerie feeling to the Scott's media room. She'd rushed out of the Café so that she could spend a couple of hours with Nathan before going home. Despite the warm, hard body behind her and the flat screen TV in front of her, she remained fixated on the growing wind outside.

"I've got a bad feeling that something wicked this way comes," she cryptically said. Nathan stared down at her a moment, running a finger over her pert nose for a second, before returning his attention to the game. "I think the Knicks are definitely in trouble, but I don't think it's anything dire, Hales."

She sighed at him, knowing that everything revolved around sports this time of year. "I wasn't talking about the game, silly," she said, hitting his chest with her small hand. She always found some way to make contact with him. "I meant that something big is getting ready to hit the fan." Haley couldn't explain her sixth sense. Perhaps growing up in the drama of so many siblings had made her prescient to other people's feelings and behavior. And what people's behavior did when feelings were involved. Karen was an emotional wreck, spontaneously crying and then cleaning the Café from head to toe. Lucas was making everyone's life hell. It seemed like they'd reached a nexus of events, where things were going to collide or resolve. Problem was, Haley couldn't tell if they would get peace or more conflict from such an occurrence.

Nathan finally tuned out the game and focused on Haley's words. "In what way?" She was so much more in tune with things around them, he thought. It was one of the things he really liked about Haley. She tended to pay more attention to the people around her than she did about how her hair looked or what clothes she wore. There was a great deal of substance to her and he was lucky that she gave him the time of day. Where he'd used to fill his free time with mindless girls and sex, he was now content to hold Haley's hand and listen to her talk about her life and her thoughts about anything.

Haley sat up and looked back outside the window. "I thought it was just the fall gloom and doom, you know. The falling leaves and the rustling of the wind around the house," she explained. "But then I realized that it's more than that. It's like change is coming and it's not called winter."

Nathan leaned over and nuzzled her neck, letting his lips get acquainted to her soft skin. "What is our trouble called?" he huskily asked her, as he leaned her back into the soft leather of the couch. She had the softest skin of any female he'd ever touched and the feel of it always drove him crazy with hormonal thoughts.

Haley fought the tingling in her toes for a moment and freed her lips long enough to say. "I think it's Dan and Karen and whatever they've been fighting about the past few weeks. And I think it's huge."

Nathan sat up, his lusty intentions gone. "What is up with those two? We've not gone to the Monday night dinners at the Café for weeks and we're back to eating frozen lasagnas again. That means that something's going on with Karen and Dan."

Haley lowered her eyes at that comment. "I think there's a lot going on between those two and that maybe it's getting more serious." Karen was alternately upset with Dan and yet seemed to miss him deeply when he failed to drop by the Café for coffee. When Haley saw Dan at the Scott house, he seemed sad and lonely, like he was missing his better half. Haley just wanted to shove them together and tell them to go be happy, but that would mean an angry Lucas would be left behind. And no one knew how to handle him. She'd always relied on Karen and Keith to calm him down in the past. And now he was barely speaking to Karen and Keith seemed preoccupied with his wife and future baby.

Nathan sat up and turned to face where Haley sat on the couch. "You think they are getting serious? I mean, I understand random sex and all that. But do you think Dad has long term plans with Karen?" While Nathan was okay with his dad doing Luke's mom, the notion that they were in a real relationship was a bit daunting.

He looked down at Haley and shook his head. "What do I do if they get together and form a family?" He asked Haley, for once, deadly serious. "What if my dad marries Karen and realizes that he doesn't need me?" That had been his worst fear after his mother died, that his dad would remarry and have a new family with someone else. Unlike Lucas, he didn't have an uncle he could go live with.

"Nathan, you don't just get rid of a child because you get together with another person," she said, knowing enough about Dan to understand that he loved Nathan even as he drove him relentlessly on the court. It worried Haley that Nathan saw himself as a disposable product and not as an important part of his father's life.

Haley smiled at his insecurities. She was convinced that she was the only that got to see the vulnerable side of Nathan's personality. Haley grabbed his hand and pulled him down on top of her on the couch. "Nate, you are indispensable to your father. He loves you and he needs you in his life. There is no way you can be replaced with other children. It's going to be okay," she promised, hoping the brewing storm was less destructive than it felt. Thanksgiving was just around the corner and Haley could only hope it would be a festive holiday and not a recipe for disaster.

* * *

Lucas threw Brooke's car into park and hesitated a moment before looking over at the very quiet brunette in the passenger seat. "Brooke, I need to know why you needed a deadbolt lock installed on your bedroom door at 2 in the morning." He'd gotten a panicked call from his girlfriend in the middle of the night about her lock. Grudgingly, he'd sneaked out of his house and gone to the 24 hour mega center and bought her a stronger lock. After stealthily installing the damn thing, Brooke had then insisted they forgo sleep and go get breakfast. He wasn't sure why they spent 4 hours in a coffee shop before school, but Lucas was so tired that he could barely run plays at practice. Now he had Whitey on his ass as well as his mother, who wanted to know why he wasn't at home this morning when she left for work.

Sighing, Brooke forced herself to focus on her boyfriend's concern. She was exhausted after several nights of fighting her stepfather out of her room. The deadbolt was a last chance to give her some kind of peace of mind while she was sleeping. "I just need some extra security while I'm asleep," she assuaged, hoping that she didn't sound as frightened as she actually was. The last thing she wanted to tell Lucas was that her fears weren't limited to her step-brother. What kind of freak lived with so many perverts in one house, she wondered.

He pulled her keys out of the ignition and handed them to her. "So you are afraid to sleep at home, even when your stepbrother is away at school and after I installed an industrial strength lock that only you have keys to?" The doubt in his voice caused Brooke great concern. She didn't want to lie to Lucas, but how could she tell him what was going on? She loved him and couldn't risk losing him because of her screwed up family.

She lowered her eyes but grasped his arm firmly. "I just need to get some sleep and then I can go home tomorrow night and take care of things," she said, with a hint of mystery in her words. She wasn't sure how she was going to take care of Trey, but it was past time for a confrontation. She couldn't take much more of this.

Realizing he wasn't going to get anymore information from her tonight, he grabbed her pink backpack from the floor board and got out of the car. The plan was for him to sneak Brooke into his bedroom, go out into the living room enough to placate his mother, and spend a relaxing night asleep. Brooke tiptoed gingerly behind him as they made their way across the porch, carefully avoiding the squeaky boards from past experience.

Once inside, Brooke dropped her backpack and gently warmed her hands over the room's small radiator. Lucas watched her in concern for a moment, before taking off his shoes and getting ready for bed. Hearing the back door slam, both their eyes turned toward the hallway, where they heard footsteps heading for the living room.

Brooke's eyes widened as Dan's voice floated down the hallway. Luke was actually disappointed. After two missed Monday night dinners, he was convinced that Dan had finally taken a hike. Motioning Brooke behind the door, Lucas quietly opened the door so he could eavesdrop. It's not like anyone told him anything these days. The only way he could get any information was from skulking and eavesdropping.

His mother's voice floated down the hall. "I don't think we should do it now," Karen emphatically stated. He could hear Dan restlessly pacing the hardwoods of the living room. He ventured out further down the hall, taking advantage of the house's floor plan to stay out of sight. Luke's concern was building with every sentence. Something big was definitely up.

Dan finally stopped pacing and turned toward where Karen sat folded into the corner of her worn couch. "Karen, nothing good will come from keeping this from Lucas," he stressed, knowing that the boy was much too smart to lie to. "We have to tell him the truth."

Lucas stepped into the room, anxiety clearly written on his face. "What's going on?"

* * *

Ducking. I hope that most of the hate mail will not be directed my way. I know I'm taking a lot of time to write this, but the devil is in the details. Or is that Dan? All replies are appreciated, even if you want me to kill off Karen. Hey, that could be the name of the sequel.


	58. Chapter 58

Warning: the following chapter has bad words, political charged topics and general smart ass behavior by Lucas. Please don't read if you are offended by topics often bantered around by politicians in America.

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 58

* * *

Lucas stepped into the room, anxiety clearly written on his face. "What's going on?"

Silence descended over the room, as Karen and Dan immediately stopped talking. Lucas walked fully into the room, confronting them both. "What are you trying to hide from me?" Lucas demanded, having already been on the end of his parent's deceit before. It was barely a month ago when he'd found out that Dan had helped save his life after the car accident. This confrontation was shaping up much the same way, half truths whispered in the dead of night.

Karen's eyes shifted from Dan to Lucas, uncertain who to address first. "Maybe Dan needs to go so I can talk to you," she began, only to get cut off by a wary Dan.

"I need to be here, Kar. You know that," he emphasized, letting the tone of his voice convey the strength of his conviction. He needed to be present when Karen told Lucas about the baby for so many reasons. He needed to show the boy that he wasn't running away and that he was finally taking responsibility for his actions. And a smaller part of him wanted to be there to protect Karen from what ever violent reaction the situation created. Dan wanted to love his son but there were many days when he didn't trust the boy at all.

Lucas finally stomped his foot like an errant child. "I want to know what's going on," he demanded, moving toward Dan. A sound at the door drew his attention away from his father for a moment. He turned and saw Brooke hovering in the doorway. Karen immediately grew upset seeing the girl in her house. "Lucas, I thought you were aware that the rules state no overnight guests." It was obvious from her pale yellow flannel sleep pants and tank top that Brooke had settled in for the night.

Lucas rolled his eyes at his mother's attempt to assert some authority over his life. That power had vanished as soon as Dan had walked back into their lives. "Brooke is just hanging out with me. I wasn't sure you'd be coming home tonight," he dryly replied, noting that his mother was spending a lot of time away from the house after work. She was just as prone to sneaking around as he was these days.

Brooke walked swiftly to Luke's side, not liking the anger she saw in his face. "Maybe you should walk me home, Lucas," she suggested, trying to find a way to get him out of that room. Karen was nothing but a toxin in Luke's life lately, she mused.

Dan decided that it was time to take charge of the situation. "Brooke, we need for you to go home," he said, moving her towards the rarely used front door. He could feel the tension that was building around her and could see the near panic on her face. Taking a key off his gold key ring, he handed it to her. "You can crash at our house tonight. Nate and Haley should be over there, but take this key just in case," he kindly explained, knowing that things at her house must be totally out of control to garner that kind of reaction to his suggestion that she go home.

Lucas could tell that his mother was not in a mood to suffer Brooke's presence, so he nodded slightly toward the door. Whatever was going down here was not something he wanted to subject Brooke to. He walked her to the door and gave her a quick kiss. "I'll catch up with you later," he murmured for her ears only. Once she was off the porch, he slowly turned around, closing the door so he could face his parents in private.

"Okay, just tell me. I can't take any more half truths and lies. Just tell me what's going on." He wasn't prepared for any more emotional battles but he realized that in his family, constant battling seemed like the norm.

Karen's hands were shaking so hard she could barely hold onto the cup of tea Dan handed her. She wasn't sure this was the time to tell her son, but he apparently had decided otherwise. Getting a reassuring look from Dan, she set the tea cup down and turned toward her son. "Lucas, I need for you to come over here and sit down."

He persisted in leaning back against the front door. It seemed safer for him to be near an exit for some reason. Like he knew he'd need a quick escape once he found out what his parents were hiding from him.

Dan took a more direct line. He walked over to where Lucas stood and dragged him over to sit next to his mother. Jerking his arm away from Dan, he turned toward his mother in anger. "I'm glad you've got your personal bodyguard on call tonight."

Karen ignored his tone but was nonetheless upset about the entire situation. It was rapidly growing out of control. Taking a deep breath, she turned toward her son and smiled. "We have some news we'd like to share with you. I'm not sure how you are going to take it, but we need to all sit down and discuss it like calm, rational, adults."

Lucas snickered at her words. He'd just turned 16 and now she wanted him to act like an adult? He'd spent most of his life sheltered by his over protective mom and now he was suddenly a rational adult? Then a worse thought crossed his mind. "You aren't getting married, are you?" It was his worst fear and the most likely scenario based on both Dan and Karen's touchy feely behavior at the moment.

Dan looked over at Karen in surprise. He wasn't sure what it said that his son's first thought was that they were getting together. Perhaps he and Karen had not been as subtle with their relationship as previously thought.

"No, Dan and I aren't getting married," Karen slowly began, reaching out to touch her son's knee reassuringly. "However we do have some news that involves all of us and that will have a great impact on the future."

Lucas leaned back against the faded couch, wary about his mother's comments. Nothing that involved Dan could have a positive impact on his life.

Glancing at Dan, Karen finally found the strength to move forward. "Luke, I'm pregnant." The simple words hung in the air between them for a moment. Lucas leaned back into the couch, shocked into complete and utter silence.

Growing uneasy with the pervading silence, Dan plunged into the conversation. "We wanted to tell you as soon as possible," he elaborated, seeing that his son was barely processing his words. Dan put his hand on Karen's shoulder in an attempted show of solidarity.

"Lucas, we know this is a big shock…" Karen's words were cut off by Luke.

"Are you going to keep it?" he suddenly asked, looking up at his parents with a look akin to sadness crossed with fury.

Karen's hand automatically rose to cover her stomach. "Lucas," she admonished, "this is not an 'it'. This is your little brother or sister."

He abruptly stood up, knocking throw pillows off the couch with startling vigor. "No mom. It's not. As far as I'm concerned 'it' is not related to me. "It" is a devil spawn." His words caused his mother to wince and Dan to grow even more protective of her. Dan stepped in front of Karen and got into Luke's face. "You are going to stop disrespecting your mother right now," Dan threatened, taking a step closer to where his oldest boy stood his ground.

Lucas almost leisurely raised his hand and shoved his father backward. "You don't have any right to tell me what to do," Lucas shouted, getting in the older man's face. It was his house. The same house that Dan had failed to visit for most of his life and now the man thought he could walk in and tell him how to behave?

Disregarding her own safety, Karen maneuvered herself between the two men, pushing them away from each other. She turned toward her son, knowing that she'd just delivered devastating news. "I know that this is an unexpected situation, but we need to focus on what's best for the family right now."

Lucas turned his attention away from Dan and toward his mother. "Family? What family?" He felt incredulous that his mother would include Dan into their family just because he'd joined his sperm with her egg. He felt like the floor was falling out from underneath him. It was one thing to eat a meal with the guy but including Dan into his life on a regular basis was more than he could handle.

"There are times in life when you have to adapt, Lucas," Karen explained, knowing that this was one rule that she'd lived by. "Dan and I are doing the best we can given the situation. We need you to help us."

Shaking his head in wonder, Lucas' tone was biting. "Maybe I could have helped you on the birth control issue, mom," he said, knowing he'd hit a sore point when both adults abruptly looked away from him and toward the floor. "Did you forget all those lectures you gave me about birth control? Or were you just too stupid to use a condom?"

Dan looked up at his son in anger, but more at himself than at the boy's rude questions. He'd spent countless hours going over birth control with Nathan, emphasizing that sex was okay as long as he didn't get a girl pregnant. While he and Karen had been careful, there were times that the heat of the moment overruled their common sense. He could only surmise that it was one of those moments that resulted in their impending bundle of joy. In some ways, Lucas was right. They obviously didn't learn from the first and second pregnancies.

Lucas smirked at his father's discomfort and moved in for the kill. "This is what, the third time you've knocked someone up? I guess you are a very slow learner." Dan took a menacing step toward the boy. Lucas refused to back down at this point. Even as an absentee father Dan had loomed like a specter over Luke's life. Sex had become a scary proposition for him, knowing that any girl he touched might end up like his mother. It was hard to get hormonal when intimate contact scared you.

"Lucas," his mother began, intent on cajoling him. He turned away from Dan and cut his mother off. "You have no idea how embarrassing it is to have an unmarried mom who is pregnant when you are sixteen." Lucas had been the victim of lifelong gossip in Tree Hill. He couldn't imagine how bad it would get once the kids at school found out that his mother was sleeping around at her age and getting pregnant.

Lucas shook his head and looked over at both parents in disgust. "Have you considered getting knocked up by someone who actually takes care of his kids?" Lucas asked, nearly enjoying Karen's wincing reaction to his harsh words. "I mean, there aren't many women who get pregnant twice by the same dead beat dad."

Karen had had enough. She stood up and walked over to her son and pushed him down on the couch. "I've had enough of this behavior, Luke. I know you are in shock, but this is not all about you. There are other people involved, like a new baby. And we need to help bring him or her into a loving family."

He leaned back and glared at his mother. "I think the best thing for 'it" is for you to get rid of "it"," he explained, wanting to advise his parents on the best way to remedy this massive mistake.

Dan stood up and paced across the floor, taking in his son's vitriolic reaction. "I know that I've made some mistakes, Lucas. But I'm not running off and leaving this baby behind. I'm going to be a huge part of his life and I'm going to take care of him the way I should have taken care of you," Dan solemnly stated. "I'm going to be the best dad that I can be for this baby.

Sighing, Lucas shook his head knowing that Dan would always miss the major point. "I'm so glad that you've decided to be a good father to the demon spawn. And let's not forget about how you took care of Nate after his mommy died." Lucas summed up, staring deep into Dan's eyes. "I guess the only child that you can't care about or be there for is me." Luke's eyes betrayed how much this fact upset him. The idea that his father wanted to be a father only when Lucas wasn't in the picture. It was hard to not take that kind of rejection personally.

Dan lowered his eyes, knowing that the only way he could explain the reasons he'd stayed away all those years included the fact that Karen wouldn't let him see his son. Dan looked over at Karen with questioning eyes. Maybe now was a good time to tell Lucas that he had tried to get custody after his birth. That he'd wanted his baby boy so much that he'd taken his meager funds and hired a lawyer to help him gain joint custody of Lucas. And yet one look at Karen killed any interest Dan had in telling Lucas those things. He couldn't destroy their relationship just to assuage the anger his son had toward his father.

Sensing that there were more secrets lurking about, waiting to come to light from his parents was the final straw. Lucas stood up and made his way to the door. He pulled the front door open and then paused for a moment, before looking back at Karen. "You should really have aborted me, you know." His calm, sad words greatly upset Karen. "I would have been better off if I'd never been born. But you insisted on bringing an innocent baby into this world of lies and it wasn't fair. It would have been kinder to abort me and save me the pain."

Lucas walked through the door way, pausing on the other side for a moment. "You should probably abort this baby too and save "it" the pain that is waiting for it." Karen immediately started sobbing, unable to run after her son. Dan felt torn, wanting to chase the boy down and make him apologize to his mother, but instead turned to comfort her. Wrapping his arms around her, he gently rubbed her back and tried to calm her down. "We knew he would be upset Karen. He didn't mean what he said." Unfortunately, Dan was fairly certain that Lucas did mean it.

Lucas stumbled down the steps to the street. He couldn't bear to be around those two people any longer. It was like he was suffocating and imploding at the same time. He beat lightly on his chest, realizing that he couldn't get any air into his lungs to breath. A calmer state might have revealed that he was in the midst of a panic attack. But Lucas didn't slow down to resolve the panic attack, nor did he realize he was running down the sidewalk in his socks in the chilly fall weather.

He slowed down as he made it to the end of the block, where Brooke's car was. He found her lingering on the hood of the VW, still decked out in her yellow flannel pajamas.

She stood up and waited for him to walk the last two feet separating them. Lucas stumbled into her arms, finally showing his emotions for the first time that night. Brooke pulled him toward her, holding his body while he cried. The sounds coming from his body were primal, born out of a long suffered pain. Brooke let him sob on her shoulder for a moment, before getting him to a place where he wasn't so panicked or upset.

"I have to get out of here, Brooke," Lucas mumbled, knowing that Tree Hill was the source of all his pain. "It's like I can't breathe here anymore." Brooke realized that it had more to do with his family and their constant lies. "I can get you something for the pain if you want," she suggested.

Luke pulled away from Brooke and nodded at her. "I have about forty dollars on me, what about you?" Brooke searched through her red Birkin bag and produced twenty three dollars. "I'll call Tim's bro and set up a buy." She slinked away and pulled out her cell phone, leaving Lucas alone beside the hood of her car. He fought a sob that was building up in him and tried to find a way to push all the bad feelings out of his life. He just wanted the pain to end so he could be happy again. Brooke walked back over and rubbed his shoulders.

"We're all set. We just need to find a safe please to stay." She had doubled back to Luke's room after Dan had kicked her out and grabbed her purse. It had been a good idea, seeing that she needed her car keys to make a quick getaway.

She pulled him up off the sidewalk and opened the car door. Getting him settled, she watched as he went for the hidden gin bottle stashed under the seat. Closing the door, Brooke knew that they were going to have one hell of a ride tonight.

* * *

Replies, reaction and Karen hate are always appreciated. I know this is a politically devisive topic, at least in the Puritanical States, but it's part of the story. A wounder bear is a dangerous bear and Lucas is pissed. He's always had a way with words and he knows just how to hurt Karen. That said, I love replies, so feel free to let me know how you fell. Thanks to Tanya and BandBabe for their encouragement. I might just get a new chapter written some day. Go Wings!!!!!!


	59. Chapter 59

Just a note about the lyrics in this chapter. I'm not fond of song lyrics in fanfic, but this song actually was what motivated me to write this story.

* * *

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 59

* * *

_How long have I been in this storm __  
__so overwhelmed by the ocean's shapeless form __  
__water's getting harder to tread __  
__with these waves crashing over my head _

Karen stared blankly at the front door, oblivious to the blanket that Dan was attempting to tuck around her. Worried, he sat down on the edge of the worn coffee table, blocking her view of the door. "We knew this wasn't going to go well, Kar," he diplomatically offered, knowing that their son's words had rocked her to the core.

Sniffling, she finally met his eyes. "I knew he wasn't going to take it well, Dan, but I didn't expect him to suggest I get rid of my baby." She slowly inhaled, trying to calm her nausea. She'd not been able to eat much more than soup for the last week and the constant stress was sapping her energy.

He looked up at her words. "Our baby," he sharply reminded her, afraid that he was losing what tiny grip he had on this child. "It's not a good sign when you can't even include me theoretically."

She leaned forward, getting closer to him to emphasize her words. "I think our son's actions just underscored why I'm not repeating the past," she coolly replied, seeing first hand what damage her past decisions had created.

Dan gave her a wary smile, knowing that she was being honest with him. "I guess he's not coming back tonight," he offered. "There goes that grounding." While he'd never managed to enforce that particular parenting skill with Nathan, Karen seemed to take it very seriously.

"He's totally out of control, isn't he?" she asked, knowing the answer before the words were fully formed. Her smart, hardworking, contentious son was becoming everything she'd feared.

Dan leaned back and honestly assessed the situation. "I'm sure he feels we're more out of control than he is." It didn't take a master's degree in psychology to see that Lucas wasn't coping well.

"He hates me," she whined, not comfortable with the distance that had infiltrated the relationship with her boy.

Dan laughed at her words. "He's a kid, Kar. What teenager doesn't hate his parents? We hated our parents when we were his age," he gently reminded her, not anxious to repeat the parental strife of his early years. Part of him had been secretly relieved when Roy and May moved to Florida.

She wrapped the blanket tighter around her small frame, a feeling of dread coming over her at Dan's words. "My parents were abusive alcoholics and you were just a miserable son. Your parents are lovely people."

He smiled at her naïve words. "I didn't think so at the time. I thought they were horribly old fashioned and intrusive," he reminded her, knowing that she'd spent nearly as much time in his house as he had. His parents were devastated when Dan had unceremoniously dumped Karen when he went to college. He reached out and grabbed her hand. "We've put a lot on him lately, Karen. Give him time and some space and maybe he'll lose some of the anger." There wasn't much wrong with his son that Valium couldn't fix, he reasoned.

She thought about his words for a moment, torn between chasing after him and dragging his ass back to his room and grounding him for life. "Where do you think he went?" she ventured.

"Well, I gave Brooke the key to my house and where Brooke goes Lucas usually follows," he surmised. While Dan was happy that Lucas had someone to confide in, he wasn't sure that either teen was particularly good for each other. Lucas was an emotional maelstrom and Brooke seemed to be falling apart on a daily basis. He was fond of Brooke and wanted her to be happy but he seriously wondered if Lucas could make that happen. His son seemed to be determined to be miserable.

"Wait, if Brooke is at your house and Lucas went after her, doesn't that mean there's a chance they'll see Nathan?" she asked. The last thing Karen wanted was for her son to blindside Dan's son.

Dan considered her words a moment before pulling her up and out of the chair. "We've got to tell Nathan before Lucas does."

* * *

_if I could just see you __  
__everything will be alright __  
__if I'd see you __  
__the storminess will turn to light _

_

* * *

  
_

Brooke slid into the leather front seat, tossing the baggie of Ecstasy toward the passenger seat. "I can not believe he tried to sell me heroin. Do I look like a druggie to you?" she indignantly asked her silent passenger before she noticed the tears coursing down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Lucas," she said, tentatively reaching over and touching his tear soaked cheek. Brooke had only been gone 15 minutes. She'd left Lucas in the parking lot next to the beach so that she could meet Tim's brother. After a few minutes of discussion and his persistent attempt to get her to buy the heroin, she'd raced back to the car.

She could feel him shaking under her hand. "Please talk to me," she whispered, cajoling him with both her voice and her touch.

He pulled away, groping for the plastic baggie she'd tossed into the car earlier. Grabbing the nearly empty bottle of gin, he swallowed the X tablet and leaned back in his seat, praying it would take affect as quickly as usual. Sighing, he looked over at Brooke in desperation. "What am I supposed to do now?"

Her heart broke as she watched his absolute despair. "I have no clue, Luke. Sometimes I think our families are so screwed up that there is nothing we can do to fix them," she admitted. The idea of Dan and Karen having a baby was too much to comprehend.

Lucas pointed toward the baggie, where three pills remained. "There are days that I think this is the only fix," he revealed, anxious for the rush of adrenaline to hit him. The best thing about X was the powerful surge of energy followed by a nearly euphoric state. It might not solve all the issues he had, but at least he'd not think about them for a good six hours. Remembering that Brooke had been depressed the entire week, he glanced over at her and took her hand, saying the one thing guaranteed to make her happy. "Let's go find a party."

* * *

_and I will walk on water __  
__and you will catch me if I fall __  
__and I will get lost into your eyes __  
__and everything will be alright __  
__and everything will be alright _

_

* * *

  
_

Karen paused impatiently behind Dan, waiting for him to get the front door open. "I don't see Brooke's car," she noted as they stepped into the spacious foyer. Her mind raced at the implications of where her son might be. It was hard not to worry about her son when he'd been so erratic the past few weeks.

"She only lives a few streets over, Kar," he explained, ushering her through the foyer into the spacious kitchen. "Maybe she parked her car at home and walked over." Dan knew that Brooke's parents rarely knew where the girl slept. He wasn't shocked at anything she might do to cover her absence from home. As Karen listened to him, she took in the kitchen with greedy eyes. She'd longed for a space like this in which to create new menu items for the Café or to prepare a meal for her son. Running a hand over the green granite counter, she turned toward Dan. "I hope you are right, Dan. Otherwise, we have no clue where our son ran off to."

"Maybe Nathan knows something about where they went," he suggested, craning his head to see down the hall toward the media room. "It's too quiet in here." He grabbed Karen's hand and pulled her through the kitchen and down the hallway. He pushed open a set of double doors. "Where the hell is Nath…" his words died off as he flipped the light on and found his son on top of his girlfriend on Dan's favorite leather chair.

Nathan awkwardly jumped off the chair at the sudden flood of light. His shirt slipped toward the floor, its fall broken only by a tangle of clothes on Haley's body. Haley immediately began tugging her shirt down and her hip hugging jeans back to their normal resting place. Blushing, she was grateful that Nathan's roving hands had merely misplaced rather than dislodged her clothes.

Dan glowered at his half naked son. "Please tell me that Haley has her clothes on." Thankfully, the small girl was hidden by the large sculpture on the end table next to the chair.

Blushing furiously, Haley pulled up her low rise jeans before moving off the chair and moving over to stand by her boyfriend. Through her humiliation, Haley was shocked to see Karen standing behind Dan in the doorway to the media room. "Hey Karen," she greeted the woman even as she wondered what she was doing there.

Nate took a more direct approach. "What's she doing here?" he asked his father, feeling somewhat protective of his mother's house. Karen being there seemed to…violate his mother's memory in her own home.

Dan grabbed Karen's small hand and pulled her into the room. "We'll discuss the nakedness later," Dan replied, waiting for his son to put his shirt on before continuing. "We need to talk."

Nathan pulled Haley down with him on the black leather couch. He looked over at his girlfriend, knowing that something big was about to go down. Nathan watched as Dan and Karen exchanged uneasy glances. "Just say it, Dad," Nathan demanded, growing alarmed at Dan's nervous demeanor.

* * *

_I know you didn't __  
__bring me out here to drown __  
__so why am I 10 feet under and upside down __  
__barely surviving has become my purpose __  
__cause I'm so used to living underneath the surface _

_

* * *

  
_

Taking a deep breath, Dan mentally readied himself for the brewing confrontation. He knew he had to tell his son before Lucas used the information against him. He didn't want Nathan to get blindsided by a vengeful Lucas. He and Karen agreed that they needed to be honest with their kids and answer any questions about the pregnancy that they had.

He cleared his voice and forced himself to talk. "Karen and I have some important news that we need to share with you."

Haley stood up, growing uncomfortable with the signals that were rolling off Dan and Karen. "Perhaps I should leave you all alone," she began, realizing that this was a private Scott issue.

Karen motioned her back toward the couch. "You'll eventually hear this, so you might as well stay." Karen did not want to strip Nathan of his main supporter during such a hard conversation.

Dan decided to just say it and get it over with. "Karen's pregnant and we're going to have a baby."

Silence descended over the room. Karen took in both teen's shocked expressions and readied herself for the coming storm.

"Are you two getting married?" Nathan asked, fearing that his home was going to be torn apart. Again. He had barely gotten used to the idea that his dad was having sex with Karen and now there was a relationship and a baby to deal with.

Dan shifted uneasily, knowing that Nate viewed his parent's marriage as being born from his conception. In a sad way, his son tied being pregnant to getting married. "We're taking it a day at a time, Nate," he explained. "We plan on having joint custody once the baby gets here."

Frowning at those words, Nathan looked at both adults in concern. "So I should expect to have a baby living here 50% of the time?" he asked, not happy at that idea. He was used to being an only child. Part of his problems with Lucas stemmed from his inability to share his space and his father. Dan was the only relative Nathan had and the limited time he spent with his other son was hard enough on Nathan. What would happen with an infant invading his home?

Karen nodded at his words. "We aren't sure about how we'll schedule it yet," she admitted, realizing that there were a lot of things she and Dan hadn't considered. If she breast fed that would certainly cause issues with sharing the baby. And part of her was horrified at giving up a baby for any amount of time, especially a new born. She looked over at the kids and tried to reassure them when she felt panicked herself. "We're still in shock, to be honest."

Leaning back against the couch, Nate grew sarcastic. "Gee, did either of you consider birth control before you got hot and groiny?" Dan had been lecturing Nate for years about safe sex but apparently wasn't capable of practicing what he preached.

"Nate, watch your mouth," Dan warned. Karen laid a restraining hand on Dan's shoulder. "We were irresponsible, Nathan," she admitted. "But we're both committed to bringing this baby into two happy homes."

Haley could sense the turmoil well hidden in both adults. "Have you told Lucas?" she quietly asked, knowing that her friend was going to need her more than ever in the coming months. If he'd let her support him and be his friend.

"We just told him and to save you both from asking, I can tell you that he's very angry with both of us," Dan replied, wanting to put all their cards on the table.

Snorting, Nathan barely hid the contempt in his words. "You can't really blame him, Dad. It's hard not to be embarrassed when your parents spontaneously breed every 16 years," he retorted. "Do you understand how much gossip we'll have to live with at school?" The gossip mongers had always been harder on Lucas than on Nate, but even he could appreciate the weight of the town's judgment regarding his family.

Dan grew tense at the truth in his son's words. "It's really nobody's business what Karen and I do." He'd listened to the rumors for years about Karen and her son and it annoyed him to no end that people couldn't leave other people's personal tragedies alone.

"That might fly in big cities like Chicago or Atlanta but in Tree Hill illegitimacy is a big deal," Haley softly stated. "Lucas can testify about that better than anyone." She really wanted to lecture the adults about reality in their judgmental little town. They couldn't be blind to the gossip that ruled the church clubs and society circles.

Karen cast her eyes down toward the hardwood floors, knowing that Haley was right. "We're not getting rid of our baby, Haley," she firmly said, as Dan grasped her hand tightly in support.

Nathan looked at Karen in shock. "No one is suggesting that you get an abortion." Nathan wasn't one to tell a woman what to do with her body, either way.

"Lucas suggested that option not an hour ago," Dan revealed, still stunned by his son's cold words. Hearing Karen sniffle, he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him.

Haley moved over to sit next to Karen, offering her friend some comfort. "He's just upset, Karen. He'll eventually calm down and then you can talk this out." In many ways, Haley understood the pain Dan had caused Lucas better than his own mother. Lucas had spent years masking and hiding his pain from Karen. He'd become an expert at distancing himself from Dan and the pain he associated with the word "father".

Nathan moved over to sit on the arm of the love seat next to his father. "I'm not thrilled at all the big changes this will bring, but I'll adjust," he slowly responded, not wanting to add to his dad's problems. "Just don't ask me to change diapers or baby-sit."

Laughter emerged for the first time that night. Karen's shoulders dropped a bit from the defensive hunch she'd had all night. She could sense that while Nathan was not happy about this latest turn of events, he wasn't hostile about it.

Haley smiled at the adults. "I just hope this baby is a happy event." There was nothing worse than an unwanted or ill-timed baby. She herself was the product of a late in life pregnancy and she knew that it was hard to sync with siblings nearly a lifetime older than you and parents who were restless to do other things with their life than parent. Smiling at Karen, she tried to be optimistic. "Kar, you've always wanted more than one child, so this is a good thing, right?"

Karen obviously failed to mention that she'd wanted more babies when she was younger and married. Now, the idea of a baby was nearly as terrifying as it was exhilarating. "I think it will be, Haley," she softly replied, meeting Dan's eyes and smiling at the happiness she found there. Maybe it would work out in the end.

* * *

_if I could just see you __  
__everything will be alright __  
__if I see you __  
__the storminess will turn to light _

_and I will walk on water __  
__and you will catch me if I fall __  
__and I will get lost into your eyes __  
__and everything will be alright _

_

* * *

  
_

A lull settled over the grim hotel room, neatly wrapping the two occupants in its haze.  
The torn blinds did little to block the neon sign that blinked lazily outside the window of their cheap room. The past six hours had been a blur of alcohol and X and their buzz was slowly wearing off.

Brooke rolled over on her side, turning to face Lucas. "You okay?" she asked, her own tongue feeling thick in her dry mouth. The worst side affect of the X was the dry mouth that plagued her for hours after the buzz had faded. She had some suckers in her purse, if she could just remember where it was.

He stretched a moment, feeling the post rush exhaustion setting in. Lucas loved the warm feeling that X gave him. It was something akin to love and acceptance, as if someone had created a place where he felt unconditionally accepted and welcomed. There was no judgment in this happy place. Unfortunately, the happy place eventually faded after a few hours and reality crept back in. He was spending what little money he had to recapture that feeling on a weekly basis.

He gazed down at his girlfriend, brushing a strand of her soft auburn hair away from her pale skin. "I'm okay," he softly replied, pulling her closer to his chest. "A bit dehydrated though." They'd spent the night dancing at some rave near Duke, only leaving when they were too exhausted to stand.

She glanced over the edge of the sagging mattress, down at the green shag carpet. "We're out of tequila," she noted, not thinking that they might need non-alcoholic refreshment at some point. They'd managed to drain a couple of fifth's of gin and tequila, which never failed to extend Brooke's hangover recovery time.

"I guess that school is out of the question," he replied, realizing that the sun was about to rise. They'd been out all night and the idea of school was a joke. It wasn't like he cared anymore. It was hard to care about his future when he could barely tread water in the present.

"I'm sure Principal Turner is just dying to bust both of us," she noted, pulling the 800 thread count sheet up closer to her chin. The hotel might be nasty, but she'd been doing this long enough to know to pack her own sheets. She kept an emergency sack of nice sheets and towels in her trunk just in case she was forced to sleep away from home. As long as they stayed in bed, the room wasn't too horrible.

Feeling her heart pound next to his, he noted that both their hearts seemed to be racing from the chemicals in their systems. Alone, it tended to creep him out when his heart raced, but together, it felt kind of neat. Like they were in sync or something.

He gently rubbed her back, luxuriating in the soft skin his hands found there. They weren't totally naked under the sheets. He'd found that the urge to touch her was heightened when they partied like this. It took every ounce of control he had not to roll her over on her back and trace his lips over her skin. There would be a time for that soon, but he wanted to avoid sex while they were using.

Frowning, he realized that they seemed to be high more often than not. He'd need to make sure he stayed sober more in the future. He pulled away from her, so he could fully see her face in the dim light of the room. "Do you remember what I said the night we beat up your step-brother?" he suddenly asked. Her brow creased in concentration, examining that awful night. "I don't want to go back to that night," she murmured. The point of drinking so much was to forget nights like that.

"I told you I thought I was in love with you," he gently reminded her. She smiled at his words, cherishing any kind words people could spare for her.

He waited for a moment then continued when he had her full attention. "Well, I don't think anymore," he firmly stated. "I know I'm in love with you." He couldn't think of spending a single moment of his life without her. In a world of betrayal, Brooke was an anchor in his storm.

Brooke's heart pounded even faster than it was before. She'd never felt such an unconditional love before. She felt like Lucas would always take care of her protect her from the worst the world had to offer. "I love you, Lucas. I can't imagine my life without you," she softly said, running her hand up his chest.

Lucas pulled her back against him, relishing the feel of her flesh against his. He didn't know what the day would bring, but he knew he could face it if Brooke stayed with him.

_and I will walk on water __  
__you will catch me if I fall __  
__and I will get lost into your eyes __  
__and everything will be alright __  
__I know everything is alright __  
__everything's alright_

* * *

*S_torm_ by Lifehouse

Thanks for the replies to the last chapter. We're nearing the end of the stockpile of chapters I have and every comment helps motivate me to write. I know the story is frustrating to some of you but what fun would it be if everyone was happy in Tree Hill? I'm just happy no one's tried to shoot Karen yet. Comments are always welcomed. Karma to the big red winged wheel this weekend.


	60. Chapter 60

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 60

* * *

Haley looked up from the Café's counter as the bell on the door jangled. Brooke sauntered in and dropped her book bag dejectedly on the floor. Haley gave her a sympathetic look, knowing that she'd had a rough few months. They'd started hanging out after the night she'd landed on Haley's door. There was something about Brooke that made Haley want to take care of her. Someone needed to take care of her, she realized, having seen Brooke stay at her house on and off for weeks without a single call from her parents. Then again, based on what Haley had seen of Brooke's parents, maybe she was safer sneaking into her friends' houses at night.

"What happened?" Haley asked. Brooke had been called to the principal's office during last period at school. She wasn't totally shocked, since both Brooke and Lucas had managed to skip school as often as they went lately.

Brooke took the glass of diet coke that Haley offered and pushed her auburn hair back from her pale face. "Apparently Peyton told our cheer advisor that I wasn't a good captain and because I've missed so many practices lately that I was unfit to lead the girls the rest of the season." At some point, Brooke would get accustomed to people dicking her over in life, but the fact that her former best friend was trying to take away the only thing good in her life was sad.

Haley's eyes widened in shock. "I knew that Peyton was mad, but this is a bit extreme isn't it?" she asked, uncertain what a herd of cheerleaders considered friendship to be.  
Haley was more comfortable with the Rivercourt guys than most of the females she knew. She'd never really had a close female friend. There was something about their invasive inquiries and gossip that scared her away in grade school and she'd never really cared to find out if they'd grow up in the interim. Brooke was an exception that she'd made for Lucas, though the girl was growing on her.

"I don't know what her problem is," Brooke finally replied, years of loyalty to her best friend still trying to silence her true opinion of the faux curled one. "She told me she didn't want Lucas and now that he's with me, she goes all psycho on me."

Haley considered her words for a moment, knowing that her opinion of Peyton was less than charitable. "Brooke, she's one of those girls that feed on drama. If you broke up with Lucas tomorrow, she'd probably be completely uninterested in him." While Haley was still trying to adjust to Lucas dating a cheerleader, she was smart enough to know that Brooke loved being with him. She might be overly predatory, but she was honest. Haley could deal with honesty over Peyton's games any day.

Brooke pushed her glass away in frustration. "God, enough about the Frizz monster," she decided, putting off another bitchfest about her former friend. "Principal Turner told me that I'm walking on thin ice and that if I continue to skip school without reason, they'll take the captaincy away from me." She'd been captain of the cheerleaders since her sophomore year and the thought of losing her position scared her. There were some days when going to school simply seemed beyond her grasp

"I think you've got bigger problems than that," Haley mumbled, not wanting to discuss her lack of sobriety. She'd tried that once and gotten smacked down in front of their English class. Brooke's penetrating stare forced her to continue. "Brooke, we both know you've got problems. There's a reason you're suddenly missing school."

Brooke evaded her friend's probing comments by staring at the deserted sidewalk outside the Café's large window. She'd managed to put everyone off that night they'd fled her house and her step-brother, but she knew she'd never be able to avoid their questions, especially Nate and Luke's. "I don't want to talk about my step-brother," she decisively stated, hoping to end Haley's inquisition before it got started.

Haley grabbed Brooke's hand to gain her attention. "It's not just your step-brother that's the problem, is it?" she quietly asked. Brooke's eyes widened at her words, before panic set in. "I don't know what you mean," she stuttered for a moment, looking so unlike her ultra hip public persona.

She moved around the counter to sit next to her friend at the bar. "Last night when we went back to your house to get more clothes, I saw you and your step-father," she tactfully stated, knowing that Brooke's problems went much farther than just her step-brother.

"What did you see?" Brooke reluctantly asked, not able to keep all Trey's lecherous acts straight. She avoided Haley's eyes, knowing what ever her friend saw was more than likely humiliating.

Reaching over, Haley lifted Brooke's chin up so she could see her eyes. "After your step- father called you into his office, I got worried. I left your room and went to find you," she explained. "I saw him groping you in his office." Haley had stood outside in the hallway and seen the older man in the elegant suit chasing her friend around his office.

Brooke sat back as if she'd been physically hit. "You have to understand, Haley, I never wanted him to touch me," she whispered, desperate that no one around heard her family shame. "I never wanted him to do that, you have to understand," she softly pleaded, her voice clearly showing the hysteria she felt.

Haley put an arm around her friend and pulled her in for a quick hug. "Of course you didn't want him touching you, Brooke. That much was obvious by how hard you were fighting to get away from him," she gently explained. Haley could tell that Brooke evidently blamed herself for her step-father's actions. "I saw you shove him away, Brooke. And I heard him tell you that it didn't matter because he had 24-7 access to your bedroom."

Unable to stop the tears from falling, Brooke opted to hide her face in her arms. "No one was supposed to know, Tutor Girl. I've tried so hard to just stay away from the house," she muttered, grateful that the Café was not full of people. Brooke had spent years carefully crafting an artificial world, one that included glamorous parents and exotic vacations. Her real world was like an exquisite snow globe, full of fake images of an idealized scene. And now even that façade was crumbling around her.

"Brooke, you aren't supposed to avoid home because your step-family is abusing you. We need to tell someone," Haley decided, sick of seeing this girl suffer so much. What she'd seen last night clearly explained Brooke's tendency to get drunk on a regular basis. She was fighting off people in the place she was supposed to be safest. Haley had to give Luke a bit of a break. She'd given him grief about sneaking Brooke in and out of his room, when he all he was doing was trying to protect her. What Haley viewed as Lucas deliberately trying to piss his mother off was actually him trying to help Brooke escape that house.

Brooke sat up and attempted to wipe some of the mascara off her face. "I told him that if he didn't leave me alone that I'd tell someone and Trey said that they'd never believe me because of my reputation," she sniffled. She'd lived a lot in her 16 years, but she wasn't the town slut or anything. A part of Brooke was relieved that Haley believed her. She'd tried to tell Peyton, who wrote off her uneasy feelings toward her step-father several times.

"That's not true, Brooke. If you told someone, the police would get involved and they'd make sure you were safe," Haley concluded, knowing that there had to be a way to fix this situation. She just didn't know who to tell that could help, without humiliating Brooke.

Brooke stood up and began pacing in front of the counter. Her heart was pounding so hard that she could barely hear anything around her. She clenched her fists, desperately wishing she could walk around the counter and pull out a bottle of beer. Finally she turned toward Haley and tried to explain. "My father doesn't want me to move in with him, Tutor Girl. My mother will send me off to boarding school if I say a word about Trey." Katherine had been very clear about that point. If she had to chose between her wealthy, young husband and her daughter, Brooke would have a one way ticket to obscurity.

"Wouldn't boarding school be safer than living in that house?" Haley asked, trying to show Brooke the logic of telling an adult the truth. As mature as she was, Haley didn't know what to do in this situation.

Brooke stood there looking like a lost child. She glanced over at Haley in fear. "If I leave town then I won't have anyone in my life that cares about me. No Lucas, no cheer team, no Nathan," she counted off the few people who would care if she went away. She looked over at Haley with a look akin to helplessness on her face. "I'm so afraid, Haley. There are so many things I'm not telling Lucas and Nate, so many things that would scare them off if they knew."

Haley shook her head at the girl's words. "They both love you, Brooke. They would never think that you wanted these men to assault you," she tried to explain, but the fear on Brooke's face was clear. She reached out and grabbed Haley's hand in mild panic. "You can't tell them what's going on, Hales. Promise me you won't tell them."

Her voice was getting higher and more hysterical by the second, Haley noted. She finally nodded at Brooke, just so the girl could start breathing again.

With a determined sigh, Haley walked back around the counter. "Then we have to find a way to get you out of your house and make sure that you don't get sent off to school." Brooke looked at her new friend, evaluating Haley's potential to let her down yet again. "I guess I'm open to any plan. I mean, it can't be worse than relying on valium and alcohol."

Haley's eyes widened, not realizing that Brooke was mixing drugs with booze. She buried any thought that this was a huge disaster and smiled at her friend. "We'll find a way out, Brooke."

* * *

Lucas dropped the screwdriver on the workbench as he sank against the surface for a moment's rest. He was worn out but had promised Keith that he'd keep some consistent hours in the shop. Love and an impending family had done wonders for Keith's energy levels and suddenly everyone in town wanted him to work on their cars. He'd expanded hours the shop's hours to include late Tuesday and Thursday nights and was now entertaining the idea of working on Saturdays.

Luke wanted to see his uncle happy and successful, but part of him felt isolated by his Keith's new family. He couldn't help but feel like the sands were shifting and his life was now fundamentally different that it had been a mere 5 months ago. His uncle was building his own life and soon he would have a son that needed all of his attention. Luke felt such a loss, a sense that he'd been replace by a baby that hadn't even been born yet. By TWO babies that hadn't been born yet.

A noise at the door caused Luke to turn back toward the office. Keith smiled at his nephew, attempting to disguise the fear he felt. Luke looked totally lost. He seemed to amble about the shop most days, lacking focus. "Come on and tell me what's going on, Luke," he said, motioning his nephew away from the car and into his office.

Luke dropped warily onto the hideous plaid couch that dominated the office. It was threadbare and gross, but was oddly comforting to Lucas, as he'd spent years napping on it when his uncle babysat him.

"You've not said much about Dan and Karen," Keith noted, knowing that Luke's parents were at the source of most of his pain.

Luke frowned at his words. "You mean since they dropped the bombshell about the impending bundle of joy?" he sarcastically replied. No one really knew what to say to him about Dan and Karen. What could anyone say?

Keith shook his head in agreement. He was so happy that Anna was pregnant and he was going to have a baby. He couldn't imagine such a great blessing being twisted and contorted. "It's definitely a shock, Luke," he slowly replied, not wanting to fan the flames of anger that so clearly burned within the boy. "All you can do is try to make the best of it."

Luke sullenly stared at a spot on the grey concrete floor, a reminder that he'd probably be stuck in a garage the rest of his life. "I don't want to make the best of it," he announced, being brutally honest. "I hate Dan. He's tainted everything in my life and now he's taken my mother away from me."

Keith leaned back in his chair, not shocked by the anger he heard in Luke's words. "Karen loves you, Lucas," Keith slowly began, knowing that his words sounded hollow. "She's just trying to do what's best for you and the new baby."

Shrugging his shoulders, Lucas attempted to avoid another 'accept the baby' speech. "Did you ever just want to get out of this town?" he abruptly asked his uncle. Keith looked over at him, hearing a new desperation in his voice.

"I went to Europe for a few months. That really helped," he offered. Tree Hill was home, for better or worse. Keith had accepted that years ago.

"I just want to get away from all of it. Dan, Mom, the impending brat," he caustically replied. "Basketball."

The last word shocked Keith. Basketball had always been Luke's refuge from the world. "Are you thinking about quitting the team?" he asked.

Luke stared blankly at the wall for a moment. "I'm tired of it being used against me," he replied. "If I don't do what Mom wants, she threatens to ground me from basketball. It's what started this mess with Dan in the first place." If he wasn't playing, his mom couldn't force him to do things, he reasoned.

Keith realized this was worse than just anger. Lucas seemed nearly depressed. "Lucas, you can't just quit life," he gently reminded his nephew, knowing that he hated high school as much as Luke did. "You just need to find a way to get through this sober." His tone was chastising as it was loving. He'd seen the signs that Lucas was drinking. He'd opened the garage a few times to find his nephew sleeping in the unheated office. Karen had called numerous nights asking Anna and Keith if they'd seen her son. However, Keith didn't know how to intervene without offending his brother or Karen. No one liked being told that they sucked at being parents. Keith was going to talk to Anna and see if they could find a way to help Lucas without causing an all out family war. The last thing the Scott family needed was war with two new babies on the way. Anna and Karen deserved a calm pregnancy. Keith just couldn't see things calming down anytime soon.

Things seemed to be getting worse and for once, Keith had no idea what to say or do.

* * *

Dan carefully leaned over the spreadsheets and ledgers that littered the top of Karen's kitchen table and attempted to balance the books for Karen's Café. The numbers danced before him, darting in and out of balance before another column would bring chaos to his end of month book reconciliation. Exhaustion was setting in. He'd spent most of the day with Karen, fetching her crackers and drinks to soothe her morning sickness away. He frowned at those words. Her "morning" sickness had lasted for weeks and seemed to make her weaker with each passing day. He insisted she make another appointment with her obstetrician who had patiently listened to her complaints and suggested a modified diet and rest. Karen had finally fallen asleep and Dan had kept his promise to sort out her business accounts. He realized that at some point, he needed to hire a CPA to help with both businesses. Dan just didn't have time to devote to the more mundane aspects of his business now that he was helping Karen with hers.

Glancing up at the clock, Dan saw it was nearly midnight. He leaned back in the rickety chair and contemplated his options. He didn't want to leave Karen alone, but Lucas was nearly two hours late for curfew. He frowned at the implication. If he couldn't trust the boy to come home, why would he trust that Luke would make sure his mother was properly hydrated? Luke's behavior had worsened in the wake of the announcement of the new baby. Dan knew that he had to do something soon, before the boy self-destructed.

Hearing a noise on the porch, he turned toward the door as Lucas attempted to sneak into the back of the house. His son had the good sense to at least be sheepish about his late return home before anger took over. "Why are you here?" Lucas demanded, unnerved by the sight of his father in his kitchen looking like he owned the place.

Dan didn't miss a beat before answering. "Why are you two hours late?" he demanded, unsatisfied that the boy's recalcitrant response. "The safety chain stopped me from using my door," he admitted as he attempted to head straight for his room. Dan leaned back in his chair and blocked his son's retreat. "Yeah, I put the chain up just to make you come through this door." Dan was sick of tiptoeing around the boy and his tumultuous mood swings. Karen might be willing to let the boy sulk about, but Dan was more confrontational.

Lucas glared at the arm that blocked his retreat and reluctantly leaned back against the worn refrigerator next to the door. He nodded toward the ledgers that covered the small table. "Are you planning to move in on Mom's business too?"

Dan considered his words for a moment before answering. "Someone has to look out for your mother and you apparently don't care enough to do it," he casually replied, happy to see a bit of disbelief on his son's face at those words.

"Where was all of this concern when she was preggers the first time around?" Luke asked, genuinely interested in why Dan was so interested in this baby.

Dan gave his son's words serious thought before he finally answered. "You don't have to let the mistakes you make as a kid haunt you the rest of your life." His meaning was clear to Lucas, who was obviously making so many mistakes right now.

Lucas laughed at Dan's words. "Nice to be referred to as a 'mistake'," he simply replied, knowing that no matter what Dan said, Luke would always be his mistake.

Dan winced at his words. "I wasn't referring to you as a mistake but rather my actions at the time," he explained. "Why do you always chose to interpret everything I say as an insult?"

"Maybe because every thing you've ever said to me or about me is an insult," he dispassionately said. "You know, all those things you said to Keith about never wanting me to be born?"

Dan wanted to strangle his older brother. "Keith shouldn't have repeated those things to you." Dan had once been an angry young man who ran his mouth off about an unexpected baby. Keith should have known better than use Dan's frustration against him.

"Perhaps you shouldn't have said them in the first place," Luke countered. He moved around Dan's hulking form, intent on getting away from this toxin in his life. "I'm sick of this conversation."

Dan followed him into his room, not wanting to wake Karen up with more discord between them. "If you ever listened, you'd see that I'm trying to create a new conversation." Dan took a moment to look at the boy's room. Even though he'd spent a lot of time in Karen's house, it was rare that he ever got a glimpse of Luke's inner sanctum. Unlike Nate's room, there were few electronic devices but rather books spread out on every surface. It was more akin to a monk's cell than a teenage boy's room and the mismatched furniture didn't help the décor.

Luke tossed his shoes on the floor and maneuvered his way around his father. "Of course you want to create a new conversation because the old one doesn't help worm your way into Mom's good graces."

Dan threw his hands up in disgust. "I give up. You just want something to argue about and I'm sick of providing it," he announced as his seemingly disinterested son got ready for bed.

Turning to face his father, Lucas sighed in agreement. "Hey, that's the first thing you've provided for me since I was born," he declared. "I guess I should be happy with that."

Dan turned to leave, realizing that his moment with his son was over and that he had to get home so he could see Nathan before he went to bed. He was running himself ragged going between his home and Karen's, as well as their businesses. He silently wondered how he'd manage once the baby arrived. He paused at the door and looked back at his son. "You need to make sure your mother is drinking enough fluids. And you might want to be careful with Brooke. I saw her leaving the other morning."

Luke's face grew stormy at the mention of his girlfriend. "Leave Brooke out of this."

"Drinking and girls is always a mistake, Luke. You need to make sure she's on the pill so she doesn't get pregnant," Dan suggested, hoping that his son was being smart about birth control. "It's hard to use a condom when you're too drunk to think."

"Dan Scott giving birth control lectures? That's a bit ironic, don't you think?" Luke commented as he leaned back against his dresser for a moment. "Not that it's any of your business but that's not why she's staying here," he said, not sure why he felt the need to clarify the state of his sex life to Dan.

His son's words caught his interest. "What is going on with Brooke then? Why doesn't she ever go home?" There was something about Dan's question that resonated with his son. He could see that there was a perfectly good reason that both his boys were protecting this girl. But from what?

"That's the question of the year," Luke softly replied before shutting the door in Dan's face. And it was a question Luke desperately wanted more information about.

* * *

As always replies are always appreciated. Thanks for reading.


	61. Chapter 61

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 61

* * *

November

The crisp fall air swirled gently around the bleachers at the River court, and Brooke snuggled deeper into Luke's strong shoulders. The fall weather had its cool grip firmly on Tree Hill as fall gave into winter. It was late on Thursday night, with curfew long ignored and school only a vague notion looming on the horizon.

Brooke slowly exhaled, having missed Lucas while he was out of town. "I'm glad you are back," she whispered, feeling a warmth she associated with alcohol and Lucas. Karen's increasingly difficult pregnancy had caused Dan to seek advanced medical advice. He'd insisted that both Nathan and Lucas accompany them to Chicago, where he'd found an expert in high risk pregnancies. They'd finally met up at the River court and had gone from kissing to substances in less than an hour.

Luke nuzzled her hair in an attempt to forget the past three days. "I hate him," he confided to his girlfriend.

She pulled away and looked at him a moment. "Chicago isn't the worst place in the world," she admitted, knowing the shopping was first rate. Brooke loved the anonymity that big cities offered. It was so different from the judgmental people in Tree Hill, who always knew too much about your business. "Besides, he did take you and Nate to a Bulls game."

"The game was awesome, but everything Dan does is a calculated action," Luke replied. "He doesn't do anything without expecting something back from it." Dan loved flashing his credit cards and money around, much to Luke's dismay. He'd insisted on first class airplane tickets and an exclusive hotel suite for his "family". The word made Luke cringe nearly as much as Karen revealing that he'd never been on a plane before. It was like he was a charity case that Dan and Nate pitied. "The city was awesome, though. Especially the architecture."

She tenderly held his hand while he talked, knowing that he needed to vent. It was better that he talked to her rather than the beer bottle he currently held. Brooke frowned, wondering when he'd begun out drinking her. "What did the doctors tell Karen?" Brooke curiously asked. "Is she going to be okay?"

Lucas considered how empathic Brooke was, especially since Karen had never shown an ounce of concern for his girlfriend. "They say she has something called preeclampsia," Luke slowly explained, not sure if he really understood what Dan and Karen had patiently tried to describe to their sons. Part of Lucas wanted nothing to do with the devil spawn baby, but the other side of him couldn't help but be concerned for his mother's health. She was too old to be having babies anyway. "She's got really high blood pressure and swollen ankles and some kind of protein in her blood that she shouldn't have."

She surreptitiously snatched his beer bottle and drained it. "What did the doctors tell her?" She wasn't up on baby conditions and she didn't know if this was a serious mom killing thing or not. After all, she didn't know Deb was having problems until she was standing beside Nate at her funeral.

"Dan said something about medicine, diet changes and bed rest," Lucas said, scared that these changes would bring Dan into his life on a more regular basis. Just spending three days trapped in the same hotel suite with the guy stressed Luke out. He was starting to lose his buzz with all this talk about his parents.

"I really needed something stronger than this," Lucas commented, looking in disdain at the bottle of pills he was washing down with his new bottle of beer. He'd only had two of the Oxycontin and it was barely helping him get to that sweet place of numbness that he'd become so dependent upon the past few months. His mother was barely able to get out of bed and Dan was practically living in their small house. Nights like these were Luke's attempts at escaping the insanity at home.

Brooke agreed with his assessment of the situation. "It's not the best buzz in the world, but it's better than nothing," she commented, dizzily leaning back into Broody's warm shoulders. Her smaller body was affected more than his even if she'd built up years of tolerance. "Besides, we can't do X every night." As flush as she was, that was one habit that threatened to drain her spending money.

Lucas attempted to stand up, before his balance or lack there of got a hold of him. Before he could fully recover, a bright light flashed into his eyes, followed by a set of white and blue lights from a Tree Hill police car.

"Everyone needs to slowly put their hands up now," a harsh sounding official police voice demanded.

* * *

Dan settled in front of the plasma television with a bowl of potato chips and a bottle of imported beer. "I'm glad that we're getting some alone time together, Nate," he said, looking over at his boy with fondness. It was great having both his sons with him in Chicago, but the underlying tension between him and Lucas wasn't conducive to bonding. It was nice to just focus on Nate and not worry about how Lucas interpreted every word he said to his youngest son.

He'd really started to miss being around Nathan. Karen's health had really pushed all of them into new roles and relationships, he decided. Nate was hanging out with Haley almost every second of the day. Brooke and Lucas were out at all hours of the night. The kids were really growing up and developing their own personalities and lives.

"It's nice to have you at home after work," Nathan carefully said as he leaned over and nabbed a few of the chips from his dad's bowl. He wasn't a total idiot, like Lucas. Nate understood that his dad and Karen were doing the best they could. But there were times that he was almost jealous of the attention his dad was giving Karen. It's like he had a limited supply and she was leaching Dan's time with Nate. They'd managed to miss the first half of the NBA season and Nate was privately happy that his dad had finally been able to hang out with him.

30 minutes into the game, Dan's cell phone began ringing. Nathan frowned at the phone, knowing that someone somewhere desperately wanted his dad for something. Frowning, Nate paused the game on their TIVO and tossed the remote to the side table, knowing that his dad was mostly likely about to leave home.

Dan finally returned to the living room and took in his son's sullen mood and the abrupt end of their basketball night. Nate had dumped all the junk food out and was in the process of restocking the beer into the bar.

"Nate, look I'm really sorry," Dan disjointedly said, truly preoccupied with the news he'd just gotten. He slowly sat down and starting putting his shoes on.

Nate looked up from the sofa for a moment. "What? Did you make another big contract sale to someone?" He'd missed a lot of things in Nate's life because he'd been chasing some big business deal.

Dan shook his head and walked over to where his son sat. "It's your brother," he realized, knowing that those words always upset Nate. He looked around a moment, spying his wallet on the end of the end table.

"What did he do now?" Nathan snarkily asked. Dan looked up at him as he grabbed his keys off the counter and headed toward the door. "He's been picked up by the Tree Hill police for public intox and substance abuse." Nate stopped in stunned silence. Dan turned toward him and gave him a look that boarded on desperation as well as anger. "I'll try to be back in an hour, Nate. Maybe we can restart the game then."

* * *

Sheriff Chris Durham met Dan at the entrance to the Tree Hill correctional complex and ushered his old friend into his office. Closing the door, the stocky man offered Dan a chair as he moved to sit behind his desk.

"You've got to do something about that boy of yours, Danny," he succinctly said, summarizing the pertinent facts as if filling out an incident report. "This is the third time we've picked him up in the last two months." He couldn't bring himself to actually arrest the boy, having been lifelong friends with both Karen and Dan.

Dan's massive shoulders slumped a bit, knowing that his friend was right. The police would usually hold Luke for a few hours and call Dan to come and get him. The scared straight tactics weren't working and the situation was getting worse. "I honestly don't know what to do with him," Dan slowly began, not wanting to discuss the matter at all.  
"He's never been in trouble before." Not that Dan would really know since he wasn't around "before".

The sheriff leaned back in his chair, considering Dan's words a moment before replying. "Dan, your boy has a substance abuse problem." He didn't see any reason to mince words. Danny wasn't a potential vote, he was a friend and as such, he deserved the flat out truth. Other people in town might be afraid of Dan but Chris wasn't one of them.

"He's angry," Dan sullenly replied, as if that excused the boy's behavior. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate Chris' help with Lucas. God knows anyone else would have taken him to juvie and tarnished the kid's record. At the very least, the situation was something that Dan desperately wanted to keep away from Karen. She had enough to worry about without more Lucas problems added to the pile.

Chris raised an eyebrow at Dan's assessment of the situation. "Okay, your boy has a substance abuse problem in addition to anger issues. That's worse. He needs some professional help. Have you considered getting him some counseling?"

"In this town? That'd be great. Then everyone can talk about how much I screwed the kid up and now he's seeing a shrink. That'll be good for his self esteem," Dan sarcastically replied.

"Or are you just worried that the town will see this situation as a reflection of you as a person? This issue is a bit more important than your reputation and pride, Dan," he gently reminded the man in front of him.

Chris took Dan's contemplative silence as a sign that he was actually willing to listen to someone else for a change. "The girl's not helping, either," he weighed in. "They are clearly codependent on each other which is why we always find them together and not alone or with other people."

Hearing Karen's constant criticism of Brooke's influence on Lucas piqued his attention. "Brooke's got problems too," Dan confided.

Chris looked at the information sheet in front of him. The kids didn't have an official file as neither of them had been arrested. Yet. "Is she Katherine Davis' kid?" he asked. "All we ever get is a housekeeper when we call her parents." They shared an expectant look. No one had every accused Katherine of being maternal. "We can't legally charge her for the drugs, since she has a prescription for it. But mixing Oxycontin with alcohol is a good way to die." He could tell from their appearance that both of them had taken a steady dose of the pills along with the booze. And he didn't want to know why a doctor had given a 16 year old girl a prescription for pain medication.

"Let me sign her out. If you wait for her parents to get back, she'll be legally able to drink," Dan revealed. He had no hope that he could stop what was going on with Brooke but he was concerned that the police would keep her until her mother eventually showed up to claim her. Not that Katherine would cut short a vacation because her daughter needed her, Dan realized.

Sighing, Chris realized that he was at a dead end. "She's not under arrest, so I can let her go with you," he decided. "But Dan the next time I pick them up, they'll be taken to Juvenile Hall and processed into the system. I can't keep making special allowances because he's your kid."

Dan realized that his friend was serious. He couldn't have asked for more chances. Lucas was burning every bridge in town and Dan felt helpless at channeling the boy's anger into something less destructive. "I understand. And I appreciate everything you are doing for them."

"How is Karen doing?" Chris asked, genuinely concerned for his friend's health. He was as shocked as anyone in town that the two of them were back together and expecting a baby. "Have you told her about any of this?"

Dan shook his head. "She's had such a hard time with the morning sickness that I've not wanted to worry her," he explained. Karen was in her second trimester and as the holidays approached, she was getting weaker instead of moving out of the nausea stage. "We took a trip to see a doctor that specializes in high risk pregnancies."

Chris looked momentarily confused. "She's not particularly old, where's the risk factor?" he asked, having weathered three babies of his own. His wife had been a warrior through all the pregnancies, though. She'd barely paused to give birth and was at work a few weeks later.

Dan leaned back and recanted everything they'd been told from various doctors. "They told her to get off her feet and change up her diet," he explained. "She apparently had a hard time with Lucas and they are concerned that her age will make this pregnancy more difficult with her past problems."

"I know you want to protect her, Dan, but keeping this from her isn't going to be good in the long run," Chris said. "She'll eventually find out. Luke is getting worse as time goes on."

Dan nodded in agreement. "I know. I just don't know what to do about him. He hates me and he's hell bent on causing problems for Karen and I."

"But at the end of the day, you need to do what's best for him and not what's best for you," Chris bluntly stated, knowing that subtlety never got anywhere with Dan. "You remember my middle boy, Ryan?"

Dan frowned a second, before pulling up the image of the boy. "He's the soccer player, right?"

Chris nodded. "We went through a phase with him where we thought the only options were military school or a funeral home. He was doing drugs and running with a dangerous crowd."

"What did you do?" Dan asked, genuinely interested in fixing Luke.

"We tried counseling for a few months and things got worse. We sent him off to rehab and then kept him in a residential program for a few months until the addiction was under control."

Dan considered his words. "He's in college now, isn't he?" Maybe there was hope that he could get some help for Lucas and make sure the kid stayed alive to see his new sibling.

"It was a long road, but he's fine now. He'll always have addiction issues, but it gave all of us a break from the constant battles and he got some space to work on things." Chris pulled his desk drawer open and searched around for a moment. He handed Dan a business card and then called out for an officer to go get the kids.

"This is the guy we used. He's an expert at finding programs that fit specific problems. He's also got a lot of local counseling connections. You could talk to him and see what he thinks," Chris suggested, knowing that he'd at least planted a seed in Dan's mind to get some help.

Dan slowly stood up and put the card in his wallet. He looked over at his friend in something akin to gratitude. "Thanks for the ideas. I guess I really need to try a different approach."

Chris smiled at his words, knowing how hard it was for Dan to express that kind of sentiment. "Just take action, Dan, before he's in a morgue."

* * *

Dan watched as a sergeant discharged Lucas and Brooke and escorted them to the door of the station. Lucas sneered at Dan as he slowly approached them. "Hey, there's our ride home," he said, knowing that while his night had sucked, Dan's hadn't been much better. A small part of Lucas was happy that he'd disrupted his brother's basketball night with his father. He'd nearly thrown up as Nate had told Tim about their plans for the night.

Brooke had the good sense to at least look sheepish at her current situation. "I'm sorry that you had to come down here, Mr. Scott," she said, as he helped her into the back of his SUV. He noticed once again that her tiny frame seemed even smaller, as if she were wasting away in front of him.

He turned to look at her once settled his large frame into the driver's seat. "I don't know what to say, Brooke. I will be talking to your mother about this," he decided, having grown tired of this police station routine.

Lucas looked up, not sure if he was addressing Lucas or Brooke with the mother comment. He rolled his eyes for a moment, before Dan caught his reaction and went off.  
"You are pushing me, Lucas. And I don't think you understand that I'm getting sick of it."

Luke leaned back against the seat. "What are you going to do, Dan? Leave me? You already did that once and don't think I'll care when you eventually do it again." The pain in his voice touched Dan. His son really thought he was a disposable product that Dan could use and throw away at will. Not that he could blame the boy. Dan didn't have the best track record in the world.

"If you think I'm going to let you use that to justify your drunken escapades, you are totally wrong," Dan finally replied, before starting the car and moving out of the parking lot. "You can both consider this a final warning. Cut the drinking and drugs or else."

Lucas snorted at his attempt to assert some parental control over him, but Brooke frowned at Dan's tone. She knew him well enough to know when he was bluffing and when he was serious. There was a different aura about her friend's dad, something that said he was serious about taking control of the situation. The car grew quiet as they moved toward home.

Things were definitely changing, she though, as they drove into the night.

* * *

Back from traveling with a new update! Thanks to Tanya for her awesome edits. She picks up more things than most of the native speakers I know. Now you can't pick on Karen because she's ill . . . LOL. Yeah, I'm sure that will help her image. I appreciate all comments, death threats and notes about the story. Thanks for reading.

I'm learning toward doing the sequel to this story. I was going to end it in an evil place but I'm always up for some good resolution.

Cyn


	62. Chapter 62

A Season in Purgatory  
Chapter 62

* * *

Flipping through a magazine, Brooke tapped her foot to the gentle beat that wafted out of her stereo and across the room. As a girl, she'd found that the cavernous room didn't seem so empty if she filled it with music and objects. She glanced over at her doll house, refusing to relegate it to the attic, despite her mother's complaints that it was childish and marred the decorator's work. It was a part of her life when things were relatively nice and she didn't want to give up hope that the little girl who played with those dolls wasn't lost forever.

She jumped, hearing the door to her bedroom slam open. Realizing it was just her mom, she relaxed for a moment until Trey followed his wife into the room. Brooke leaned against her black headboard, forcing herself not to panic with Trey so close to her bed. She'd successfully locked him out of her room with the deadbolt lock, but he'd just moved his lecherous behavior to other parts of the house.

Katherine threw papers at her daughter, in full hissy fit. "What the hell are you doing running around town getting arrested with that . . . boy?" she spit out, completely unable to actually say Luke's name.

Brooke's shoulders slumped, realizing that her mother must have finally talked to Dan about those pesky police encounters. She raised her eyebrow at her mother and attempted to clarify. "We were never arrested, just detained."

Not appreciating her daughter's sarcasm, she continued on her rant. "It's that boy. He's totally corrupting you," Katherine rationalized, knowing that while Brooke lacked intelligence and ability, she certainly was never a juvenile delinquent. "You will stop seeing him this instance."

Brooke tossed her magazine on the floor, bored by her mother's constant insults toward her boyfriend. "I'm not going to stop seeing him. Luke's about the only good thing in my life," she firmly stated, giving her mother a look that bordered on loathing.

Trey smiled at her refusal to back down. He'd always like feisty girls and Brooke was just as feisty as they made them. Brooke noticed him staring at her cleavage and discreetly pulled at the v-neck of her shirt.

Katherine's eyes narrowed in disgust at her words. "If you won't stop seeing him, then I'm sending you away," she firmly announcement, getting both the attention of her daughter and husband. "That lovely little convent boarding school in Kentucky has already confirmed your spot in next semester's class," she snidely confided to her daughter. "Of course I had to make a sizable donation to get you admitted with so little notice, but I'm sure the good Sisters will be more than happy to have some extra time to save your worthless soul". Part of Katherine was happy to send this failure away. A few idle threats might just turn her daughter around.

Brooke's heart lurched at her mother's words. Being sent away meant not being able to see Luke, or feel his strong arms around her. Lucas was the only person on the planet who really cared for her and it was nearly impossible to think about life without him.

"I won't go," she confidently replied, knowing that she could always weasel her father into sending her enough money for an apartment, or worse, convince him that she needed to live with him. Anything was better than a school where they made you wear ankle length skirts and cardigan sweaters.

Katherine smiled smugly at her. "I spoke with your father last week. I told him about your little show at the debutant ball and the incidents with the police. He feels that this boy has an undue influence over you and that school would be a good place for you to reconsider hanging out with scum from the bad part of town." Her words were deliberately malicious, calculated to cause as much damage as possible. Brooke knew that her boyfriend's address wasn't his fault. And for all of Karen's disdain, Brooke could tell that she was an involved mother who actually cared for her son, unlike either of her parents.

She looked up at her mother and her sniveling step-father. "I hate both of you. You're both cold hearted, miserable human beings and you can't stand that some one actually has love in their life." Turning to address her mother specifically, "You'll never stop what Luke and I have. It's stronger than your hate." She jumped off the bed and ran out the door, ignoring the vicious words her mother threw after her. The massive grandfather clock in the marble entryway struck midnight, as she threw open the door and ran. She didn't care that she had no keys and no money. She knew where she was going. And nobody was going to stop her.

* * *

Karen leaned her head against the toilet as the latest wave of nausea passed. Dan, who had managed to fold his large frame into the small bathroom, pulled her hair away from her face and passed her a cold wash clothe. He was concerned about the morning sickness. It had lasted much longer than it should have and it seemed to sap what little strength Karen had left. He panicked a moment; remember another pregnant woman who he'd watched fade away. Shaking the image of his wife from his mind, he rubbed Karen's shoulders and tried to comfort her the best that he could.

"I'm glad that we went to see that expert," he commented, examining her as she leaned back against the wall. She was pale but otherwise looked okay. He shifted a bit, trying to give her as much room as possible in the impossibly small bathroom. Dan realized that Karen had done a good job finding a nice house in a modest neighborhood. The crime rate was low even though she lived near some of the more destitute parts of Tree Hill. Still, he found the two bedroom, one bathroom house to be a bit confining. His own house had five bathrooms and had more room to stretch out. He'd always felt confined by any structure he'd lived in. It was his nature to want more.

Even with the couple taking over the bathroom most nights, Lucas had still found a way to avoid Dan any time he was in the house. Dan wouldn't put it past the boy to use the bathroom outside just to avoid going near him. Karen had tried to coax him out to watch a movie or to go over some of the discussions about custody once the baby was born, but Lucas had refused. They'd eventually given up even trying to get him out of his bedroom. A frown crossed his face as he recalled Luke's problems.

Karen stared up at him and noticed the look of concern on his face. "What's up, Dan?" He glanced down at her, always surprised that she could read him like a book. Sighing, he looked down at the gleaming white tile. He had to start trusting Karen enough to tell her the truth. It had been his Achilles heel when they were younger and he desperately wanted to be better than he was at 18.

"It's Lucas," he slowly stated, not anxious to start this conversation with a woman who'd been suffering morning sickness for two months. "He's been having some trouble in town."

Unnoticed in the hallway, Lucas leaned around the corner, eavesdropping as much as he could without being seen or making the old hardwoods squeak in protest.

Karen cringed, knowing that he'd been hiding something from her. "What's he done now and how much alcohol did it involve?" She wasn't blind. Karen knew her son was acting totally out of character. She'd just been exacerbated that her lectures and groundings did nothing to stop Brooke's influence. Lately, she'd been lucky to make it the Café for a few shifts each day. Fighting with her son was something that she physically could not do.

"I didn't want to tell you because you've had such a hard time with the baby, I didn't want to stress you out," he began before she brusquely cut him off.

"Dan, you don't have the right to withhold information from me," she insisted, but lacking the will to argue with him. "What did he do?"

"He's had a few run ins with the police," Dan slowly began, knowing that the truth would devastate her. "He and Brooke have been picked up a few times for public intox. There was also an incident where prescription drugs were involved."

Karen slowly closed her eyes but not before a tear coursed its way down her cheek. Part of her knew that Lucas was getting into trouble. He was so radically different from the boy she'd known just a few months ago. "Was he arrested?"

Dan shook his head. "Chris let them go without pressing charges. But he told me that we've got to get Luke some counseling or something." Dan hated to think that he'd pushed his kid into seeing a shrink but part of him wondered if it might help them all to have Lucas talk to someone. Nathan was adjusting to the idea of a new sibling and a changing family life but Lucas seemed to be reeling from the constant changes in his life.

She leaned against his shoulder for a moment, happy to let someone help her carry the burden. "Did he give you a reference to someone who might help?" She knew that Chris had problems with one of his kids and the boy seemed fine now. "Maybe having someone outside the family to talk to would help."

Lucas leaned back against the wall, rolling his eyes at the mere suggestion that talking would help things. As far as he was concerned, the only thing that would make things better was if Dan disappeared from the face of the earth. Just the thought of being forced to see a shrink pissed Lucas off even more.

Dan gently held Karen's hand, realizing that this bout of cookie tossing had abated for the moment. "We need to get you back to bed," he decided, gently picking her up off the floor before she could protest. Her tiny body fit neatly in his strong arms. He leaned down and gently kissed her forehead as he made his way toward her bedroom. "It'll be okay, Kar. I just know things are going to be okay." It was the mantra he repeated every day, no matter how fierce hurricane Lucas grew.

Lucas ducked back down the hall and quietly crept into his room. The site of Dan and Karen together always tore at his heart, but seeing Dan hold his mother was a revelation for him. The man actually looked like he cared about something other than basketball, Nathan and money. He'd watched them go down the hall before disappearing behind his mother's bedroom door. His heart clenched at the thought of them alone in her room. While Dan had stayed the night before, he'd been a conspicuous presence in the living room when Luke had woken up the next day. Apparently, Dan had graduated to his mother's bed.

He'd gotten past the last few months by telling himself that Dan and Karen had a momentary lapse of reason and the pregnancy was just dumb luck that had brought them together. Now he was truly concerned. The two people on that bathroom floor were not strangers brought together by sex. They seemed to have a past and present that Lucas couldn't quite wrap his mind around. He didn't understand this situation. He didn't WANT to understand it.

A quiet tapping on his door broke his reverie. He opened the door and saw a flushed and anxious Brooke on his doorstep. He pulled her into a hug, nestling his face into her long auburn hair. "What's wrong?" he asked, pulling away. He instantly knew something serious had happened by the shaking of her small body.

Taking a deep breath, Brooke fumbled her way across his room and sank slowly on his bed. She'd been so upset that she'd run across town at midnight to find Lucas. Part of her just wanted to drain the adrenaline that was in her system, the other half had not wanted to risk running into her step-father to retrieve her car keys from her bedroom.

His concern grew at the panicked look in her eyes. "Did something happen with your step-father?" he asked, knowing that he'd barely scratched the surface on that issue. He'd always had a bad feeling about Trey but the expression on her face confirmed that his speculation had hit close to home.

Sniffling, she buried her face into her hands and shook her head. "It's my mother. She found out about the run ins with the police," she finally muttered, looking up at where he stood rooted to the hardwood floor. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she recanted the story of the argument with the wicked witch of the south. "She's threatening to send me away to boarding school."

Luke gulped some air, fighting to control the panic he felt welling up inside him. "She didn't mean it, Brooke. She's just trying to scare you." He put all the conviction he could muster into those words, knowing that they weren't true. Brooke's mother would more than likely be thrilled to get rid of any maternal obligations society might expect from her. Luke knew that Katherine didn't really like Brooke, just like Dan couldn't stand him. It was the one common bond that Nathan could never share with Brooke.

Brooke shook her head. "She threw a brochure at me, Lucas. She said she's already enrolled me for the spring semester," she confided, horrified by the robotic girls in tacky uniforms that had adorned the cover of the brochure. Her mother and grandmother had gone away to school their senior year, but it had been to a Swiss finishing school, not some god awful country convent.

He sank down beside her, clinging to her in a way that bespoke of his desperation. Brooke was the only person who understood him, the only person who loved him first, before any other person. Keith had Anna and the new baby and his own mother had ditched him for Dan and the Satan spawn. Lucas knew that if Brooke left town, he'd have little to no reason to get out of bed anymore.

Brooke looked away in anguish, not wanting to stay but fearing the loss of the only person who truly loved her. Part of her realized that this was the best option. Her father didn't want anything to do with her and her home in Tree Hill could never be safe as long as Trey was around. If she didn't leave, he'd eventually hurt her like his son had. She clenched her fist, remembering her vow to never be hurt like that again. Going away to school could give her freedom from that fear. But it would tear her away from the only affection she'd ever known.

Lucas pulled her closer to him, attempting to make her feel better. "I can go with you," he suddenly said.

Brooke pulled away and smiled at him, her dimples accentuated by the low light of the room. "It's a school for girls, silly."

Lucas shrugged at her words. "I like girls." He pulled away from her and shifted on the bed so he faced her. "I wouldn't mind getting out of this town myself." It could be a fresh start for him, as well as for Brooke.

Something in his tone piqued her interest. She struggled to understand what he was saying. "What do you mean?"

"Why can't I follow you to school? I could get a place in town and sneak over to see you when ever possible," he proposed. It might not be as good as seeing each other in school every day, but it was certainly better than never seeing her at all.

Brooke shook her head in confusion at his words. "Are you talking about leaving town? Your parents would never let you do that."

Something akin to anger crepted across his lovely face, deepening the frown lines that had become common place. "Who says I'll ask them?" he retorted. "At this point my mom would probably be happy if I left town." It was hard to keep the bitterness out of his voice. He WAS bitter about the entire situation.

His meaning finally dawned on Brooke. "Are you talking about running away?" she finally asked.

Running a hand down her check, Lucas attempted to still his own beating heart. "Why not? That way I can be with you and get away from them."

Pulling away, Brooke considered the implications of such actions. "They'd immediately know you followed me and they'd just come and get you."

Lucas leaned back against his headboard and stared at her for a moment. "I don't think they'd go to that kind of effort. I think my mom would be relieved if I wasn't in the picture anymore." Lucas had become an outsider to this group of people now claiming to be family. He had no place here where he fit in, so why not go with the one person who cared for him?

She knew that things in the Scott/Roe family were tense, but Brooke would never have thought Luke capable of saying those words until that moment. He gave her a sad smile. "I'm just causing problems, Brooke. She has the chance to have her perfect, all American family and I'm just in the way." He shut his eyes for a moment, trying to stop the inevitable tears that were about to form. It was the truth, though. Karen finally had everything she'd always wanted in life. And Lucas couldn't accept it. He'd be doing them all a favor if he just disappeared.

Brooke moved next to him and leaned back against the headboard. "What would you do to survive? You can't leave town and get a job without being traced . . . can you?" She wasn't really up on Runaway 101. But she did know that they'd have a better chance if they disappeared together, to an unknown spot.

"I'll find a way to survive. I always have," he murmured as his eyes slowly lowered. Lucas pulled Brooke closer to him, determined not to lose the only thing in his life that made sense.

* * *

Karen polished off another cracker, satisfied that her stomach was finally settling down for the night. She was upset at how out of control her life was spinning. A new baby at 34, a son that seemed hell bent on self destruction, and a man who held her hair back when she threw up, but who had his own life apart from hers.

Dan moved about her, fluffing pillows and brushing cracker crumbs from her quilt. He wanted to make sure she was comfortable. Her small voice drew his attention. "Dan, do you think you can stay tonight?" she quietly asked, feeling the need for his presence.

He smiled down at her and ruffled her hair. "Of course I can stay," he quickly replied, embarrassed at how happy he was to be wanted. He grabbed a comforter from the chest at the end of her bed and slowly spread it out on the floor beside her bed. Her arm reached out and stopped him. "You don't have to sleep on the floor, Dan."

He stood there in shock as she motioned toward the bed. Karen smiled at the expression on his face. "What? You did knock me up. The least you can do is keep me and your baby warm during the night," she joked, seeing the happiness on his face. Not wanting to appear rude, he removed only his shoes and crawled in next to her, pulling her back into his strong, warm arms.

As the room settled into darkness and the quiet invaded the room, Karen felt braver than she had in months. "There are days I miss this kind of closeness," she admitted. It was nice having someone to eat breakfast with and someone to take care of you when you were sick. Dan had been remarkably dependable over the past few months. She'd begun to depend on him and while that scared her, a small part of her was also thrilled.

Dan slowly exhaled, realizing that they could be moving to another level of their friendship. "I like taking care of you and spending time with you." He didn't want to totally say that he wanted to be with her, but it was so hard to hide these days.

She reluctantly spoke, fearing that she'd scare him off. "I think part of me might be falling for you again," she quietly admitted. It took a lot for her to say these things, especially to the man who had decimated her heart so many years ago.

Dan perked up at her words, his heart expanding at the idea that this could be more than sex between them. He rolled her over so he could look into her eyes. "Then why not make this official, Kar? We could be a real family and bring this baby into a single home with parents and siblings."

She leaned over and kissed him, lightly at first but deepening the kiss as he pulled her body toward him. He didn't need an answer tonight, but for the first time Dan was hopeful that this situation would turn out okay.

* * *

How anvil-icious was that chapter? Thanks to Tatiana and Deb for betaing. As always, thanks for reading. Comments and replies are appreciated. It's always interesting to see where people think the story is going.


	63. Chapter 63

The laws in your state may vary, I'm using national averages for storyline purposes.

* * *

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 63

* * *

Haley carefully wound her long knit scarf around her neck, bracing herself against the cold November weather. She looked down at the small bag in her hand and couldn't help but compare it to her companion's multitudinous bags. Brooke had convinced Haley that they needed a joint shopping spree to find the "perfect" baby shower gift for Anna and Keith. Haley settled for a small, hand knit hat. Brooke wasn't satiated until she'd purchased four unisex outfits and accessories. Then again, Haley was paying for her gift out of her tutoring money while Brooke was dropping her Daddy's credit card without a second thought.

Brooke suddenly stopped outside a seedier store in the downtown shopping district. Haley always tended to gravitate toward the funkier independent stores that the mall just didn't offer and had convinced Brooke to go along with her. Brooke paused outside of a pawn shop a moment, before marching through the door over Haley's objection.

"Brooke," she tersely explained, "they don't sell shoes in here." Her friend pulled free from Haley's hand and boldly made her way to the front desk. A seedy looking clerk lasciviously ran his eyes over the pretty girl in front of him before asking "you want somethin'?"

Brooke gave him her best patented femme fetal smile. "Yes, you can help me," Brooke sweetly replied. It always helped if you were friendly when you wanted something.

He automatically picked up the keys for the jewelry cases and motioned her over. "You want a one or two carat set of diamond studs?" he expectantly asked. He was used to seeing these sorority girls in the store. They came in pawning rings from their ex's and buying nice jewelry as a break up gift.

Brooke stared down at the earrings for a second, momentarily distracted by the glittering diamonds. "Oh, I don't want jewelry. I want to buy a gun," she simply stated. The clerk looked her over critically for a moment, before speaking. "I don't suppose you have a North Carolina driver's license that states you are 18 years of age or older?"

Her brow furled a moment, as she glanced from Haley back to the clerk. "Why? Do I have to be 18 to get a gun?" she asked, totally ignorant that there were laws about this stuff.

The clerk put the gun he had placed on the counter out of her reach. "There are various state and federal laws that make it impossible to sell to minors," he patiently explained. "Unless you have a parental consent or are part of an organized shooting team, then no gun for you."

Brooke was bummed, missing the shocked expression on Haley's face. "Brooke, what the hell do you need a gun for?" Haley asked, genuinely curious about why she'd want a fire arm.

Pulling out a wad of large bills, Brooke waved it in front of the clerk. "Would this buy me a gun someplace else, like one of those gun shows?" The clerk considered her words as his mind worked over time trying to find a way to sell her something and take that cash off her hands.

Haley grabbed the money from Brooke's outstretched hand and shoved it back into her Birkin bag. "We're leaving Brooke. Tell the nice man good bye." Brook waved at the guy behind the counter as Haley pushed her out the door.

"That was kind of rude, Hales," Brooke said as they began walking down the street.

Haley gave her friend a look of astonishment. "You were trying to use your good looks to buy an illegal gun. I can't imagine why I wanted us out of there, Brooke." Haley was nothing if not an upstanding citizen and she knew trouble when she saw it. Brooke Davis with a gun was nothing but trouble.

Brooke fiddled with her shopping bags for a moment, not wanting to look Haley in the eyes.

Haley picked up on her unspoken thought. "You want a gun because of your step-father, don't you?" Haley asked, knowing that these two events were too closely tied together for it not to be.

Sighing, Brooke slowly began walking down the street, anxious to burn off some energy.  
"You don't know how bad it is, Tutor girl." She started to elaborate and then changed her mind, knowing that talking about it didn't make the situation better. "I need to be able to protect myself."

Haley grabbed Brooke's hand, stopping her near feral stalk down the sidewalk. "Brooke, if things are so bad that you need to buy a gun to protect yourself, then you need to tell someone," she insisted.

"There's no one to tell, Hales," she sadly noted. "It's not like there are a surplus of adults in my life that give a damn." And more importantly, most of them would probably laugh at her or think she deserved what was happening. While she thought she could handle her step-father's roving hands (especially with a gun) she didn't think she could stand being ridiculed.

Haley slowly nodded at her friend, realizing that she wasn't going to ask anyone for help. It worried her that Brooke was desperate enough to buy a gun to protect herself, rather than telling someone who could help her escape. Before she could find an appropriate response, Brooke squealed in delight. "Another shoe store," she said, clapping her hands together in delight.

Haley followed her into the store, knowing that Brooke was being as fake as the mannequin's in the display window.

* * *

"So, Lucas, what do you think about the new baby?" Dr. Andrews asked, attempting to jump start this very silent family therapy session. He'd gotten a call from Mr. Scott requesting help with his recently reunited family. The Doctor could understand why the parents had resorted to professional help.

Lucas rubbed his flannel shirt absently, wishing that he was someplace else. "I try not to think. It tends to cause problems," he ironically said, glancing over at his mother in disdain.

The Doctor picked up on that thought. "What kind of problems does it cause?" he asked, genuinely interested in what was driving this family dysfunction. Other than the abandoning parents and new babies.

Shrugging his shoulders, Lucas braved an honest answer. "Anytime I speak the truth they ground me. It's a damn good reason to keep my mouth shut," he replied, ignoring Karen's raised eyebrow at his cursing.

Dr. Andrews looked over at Dan and Karen for confirmation. "Is that true?"

Dan shifted uncomfortably, knowing that Karen had been particularly heavy handed with the groundings lately. He couldn't blame the boy for being upset, especially considering the crimp it put in Luke's dating life.

Karen directed her answer to Luke more than the Doctor. "Luke has been grounded for drinking and breaking curfew, not for his lack of support in this situation," she tersely replied. She didn't mention Brooke as the Doctor had suggested they avoid girlfriends in the first few sessions.

"Situation?" Dr. Andrews asked, knowing from the initial consultation he'd had with the couple implied multiple problems with the family.

Karen shifted uneasily in her chair, knowing that she had to get used to being more honest with her words. "My relationship with Dan, the baby, being in the same room with his brother. All of it," Karen said. She was so frustrated with Lucas. She knew the baby was unexpected but she thought that eventually he'd warm up to the idea of having a little brother or sister.

Dr. Andrews waited for someone to reply. Lucas stared at a spot on the carpet, apparently applying the silent treatment to his mother. He turned toward the other teen in the room. "Nathan? You've been awfully quiet. What do you think about all of this?"

Nathan's chin jerked up when he heard his name. So far, he'd managed to fade into the background, knowing that between Lucas and Dan, no one would get a word in. True to form, they'd spent most of the hour bitching at each other and he'd coasted through the session. "Um, it's not really my business," he neutrally stated.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows at Nate's words. "This is your family, too. Why would you think it's not your business?" Dr. Andrews asked, curious as to what role Nathan was playing in this drama.

Shrugging, Nate avoiding looking at his father. Luke might be his bastard brother, but Karen was not his family. "My dad's a big boy. Whatever he does in his private life isn't for me to comment on," he replied, anxious to get this discussion back on Luke and his inability to accept any of the changes they were both facing.

Raising his eyebrows at Nate's words, the doctor leaned back in his chair and evaluated what direction he needed to go in. "Dan, what do you hope counseling will accomplish?"

There was no reason to avoid a discussion about each family member's motivations. They'd all taken actions that had led them to this point and some of them apparently were willing to make changes in their behavior.

Dan concentrated on the question for a moment. He wasn't too supportive of family counseling. When he'd called the doctor he'd implicitly said that Lucas needed counseling. Dan wouldn't have been so fast to rush into this if he'd known that he was going to be thrown to the lions. "I'd like to find some kind of peace with Lucas so that the baby isn't born into so much turmoil," he honestly replied. Dan found it hard to be honest about wanting a better relationship with Lucas when Nathan was in the room. He felt….disloyal on some level. He was supposed to be able to love all his children equally but displays of affection were alien to him.

"Lucas, what do you want in the future?" he asked, genuinely interested in what Lucas was willing to change in order to avoid being grounded. From what he could glean from their limited conversation, Dr. Andrews could see that the boy was acting out in anger and abusing alcohol as a distraction from his deteriorating relationship with the mainstay of his life: his mother.

Lucas met Dr. Andrew's penetrating stare. "I want to turn 18 so I can get the hell away from these people," he retorted, taking a perverted pleasure in the hurt look that crossed his mother's face.

The doctor interrupted the brewing fight. "Time's up for this session. I have some reading assignments that I'd like all of you to complete before the next session," he explained, noting the look of disdain of all of the men in the room. "Nate and Lucas, if you'd go out and see my secretary, she'll give you the books I'd like you to read."

The dismissal was clear. The kids gratefully bailed, more than happy to leave the adults alone.

* * *

Haley poured Anna another glass of water as they waited for her to go order to come up. "You are so huge," Haley gushed, resisting the urge to reach out and pat Anna's extended belly.

Laughing, Anna shifted a bit, trying to ease the pressure of the baby on her bladder. "If he or she doesn't hurry up and get here, I'm going to start camping out in the bathroom." The months had flown by and Anna and Keith were excited to meet their child.

Haley leaned back against the counter for a moment, lost in thought. Anna was a teacher and that meant she'd been trained about what to do with troubled students. There was probably some sort of law that required teachers to report abuse.

"Can I ask you a theoretical question?" Haley began, feeling out the situation. She couldn't mention Brooke by name, but she could get some information from Anna about how to help her friend.

"Sure," Anna replied, noting the hesitancy in the younger girl's voice.

Haley chose her words carefully. "I have a friend that's in a dangerous situation at home." Anna's curiosity was piqued by Haley's lack of eye contact.

"What kind of danger?" she asked

Haley hedged a moment before answering. "I think something is happening to my friend at home," she replied, not wanting to give out too much information since Anna knew Brooke.

Anna coolly appraised Haley, knowing that her parents tended to leave her alone too often. "Are you sure we're discussing a friend and not a certain waitress-tutor?"

Shocked, Haley's words quickly gushed out. "It's not me, for heaven's sake. It's a friend of mine. She's got this creepy step-family and I think she needs help." Haley knew her parents weren't perfect but Haley was more than capable of taking care of herself. Brooke wasn't.

"Well, if there's physical or sexual abuse, she needs to tell a teacher or another adult she trusts," Anna replied. "Abuse victims tend to hide any sign of dysfunction so it's probably not realistic that your friend will ask for help."

"You grew up in a foster home, didn't you?" Haley asked, not wanting to be rude.

Anna smiled at her. "Yep. I spent most of childhood in group homes or foster placements." It was a time of her life that was less than happy but she'd managed to survive and move forward.

Seeing that she wasn't offended by her personal questions, Haley kept going. "Do you think it's better to be in a foster home than in a dangerous home?" Haley wasn't sure where this was going, but maybe she could tell someone that Brooke was being abused and could get her some help.

Anna considered her words for a moment before replying. "My mom was a crack head who valued drugs more than me," she slowly revealed. "Our house, when we weren't living on the streets or in a car, never had food or heat. It was not a good situation. Group homes tended to be chaotic, but at the end of the day, I had a warm bed to sleep in and food on the table." Anna was thrilled that her baby was going to grow up in a nice home with a beautiful yard and loving parents. It was a near fairytale ending for Anna.

"I don't want to get my friend moved to some foster home, but I don't know how to help her," Haley admitted, for once lost about how to handle something.

Anna patted her hand for a moment, before pushing herself up off her chair. "You can always tell me and I can use the school resources to help her. Or you could find a relative that is willing to listen to your friend's problems. Just don't give up trying to help her," Anna said. She pushed herself up and moved toward the door.

Haley watched her waddle off only pausing as Nate bounded through the door. Reaching out, Nate rubbed Anna's belly, saying "How's my little cousin doing? I bet he's ready to come out and shoot hoops."

Anna laughed at her nephew's antics. "What are you going to do when this baby pops out wearing a pink bow?" Nate was convinced the baby was going to be a boy, in order to carry out the Scott dynasty in Tree Hill.

"If it's a girl, we'll develop a weight training program that bulks up her arms so she can protect the perimeter when she shoots," he revealed, showing that he was already thinking about the future.

Laughing, Anna patted Nate on the head and walked out the door, intending to waddle home before her dinner got cold.

Nathan walked up to Haley and slumped down next to where she stood at the counter. "I am so happy that hell is over," he commented, hating the counseling profession more than ever. He'd been forced to go to one after his mother died. The shrink had upset him so much that Dan refused to take him back.

Haley smiled at him, knowing that the session was going to be stressful for every one involved. "What happened? Did Dan and Lucas both make it out alive?"

Nate grabbed a pitcher of water off the counter and poured himself a glass of water. "It was nasty. Everyone was yelling at everyone else. I just wanted to fall into a hole and disappear. Trust me when I say your day had to be much better than mine."

Haley paused a moment, before looking up at him. "I'm not so sure," she slowly began. "I went shopping with Brooke."

Nate laughed at her. "That's always a dangerous endeavor. Did she drive you crazy with all the squeals about shoes?"

Haley leaned back against the counter. "No, she was more upset about the guy who wouldn't sell her a gun."

Nate looked up at her in shock. "Gun? What the hell are you talking about?"

* * *

Dan forced himself to breath slowly, centering himself as the doctor went over the finer points of their family counseling session.

"Your son clearly has issues about being abandoned," Dr. Andrews said, reading over his notes from the session. "The reemergence of his father into his life needs to be handled with care."

Karen nodded in agreement at his words, anxious to get to the information about how they could fix Luke. "I think we also need to address the girlfriend issue," Karen suggested, knowing that most of her son's behavioral issues seemed to get worse when ever he was around that girl.

The doctor looked up from his notes and gave Karen a brief, analytical stare. "I would rather focus on the family dynamic first. I feel there are so many serious issues going on between you and your son that we don't need to focus on the girlfriend just yet."

Dan shifted uneasily in his chair. "We've been told that we might need to send Lucas away to get him some substance abuse treatment." The doctor turned toward Dan and smiled at the man. "Let's just try to see if we can hammer away at what's bothering Luke and then we can see where that takes us." He was used to families' chiming in with different treatment plans and better ideas on how to "fix" their kids. It would take some time, but eventually he hoped he could get the Scott family moving toward communication with each other. That just might help the young Scott stay away from booze as a coping method.

Karen frowned at his words. She knew that Luke's problems were largely a result of Dan's re-emergence in his life, but for some reason she couldn't let go of the idea that Brooke was making a bad situation worse. "I'm not suggesting that we aren't responsible for many of Luke's problems," she slowly admitted. "I just worry about Luke's decision making process when he's around Brooke. That girl is just trouble."

* * *

Brooke hesitantly made her way into the small alley behind the pawn shop. She'd been walking back to her car after wandering around when she'd stopped outside the store's window and been motioned in by the clerk.

She nervously rubbed her hands against jeans, concerned that she'd allowed herself to be cornered by a sleazy Gen X reject of a store clerk. "What do you want?" she cautiously asked him.

He slowly pulled a gun out of the back of his jeans. Brooke jumped at the site of the gun, wondering if she'd meet her end in some nasty alley. Seeing her panic, he sheepishly lowered the gun. "I didn't mean to scare you, but you seemed really interested in this when you were in the store with your little mother hen," he sarcastically said, obviously not impressed with Haley's maternal instincts.

Brooke looked at him skeptically, wondering what his change of attitude was. "You said you couldn't sell one to me because I was underage," she replied.

The clerk shrugged his shoulders at her words. "I don't like selling stuff illegally in front of witnesses." He slowly raised the gun out toward her, so she could inspect it. "This one is different from the ones in the store. It's clean," he added, hoping that might increase the price.

Brooked down at the shiny gun in confusion. "Clean? Was the gun in the case dirty?" she asked. The clerk sighed in frustration, wishing she'd just wanted the diamond earrings. "It's had the serial numbers filed off so it's completely untraceable."

"Oh," she replied, not knowing if that was a good thing or a bad thing. She just wanted a gun so that she could protect herself against Trey if things got really bad. "How much do you want for it?" she asked, knowing that he probably wasn't going to be filing any paperwork for this purchase.

He reached out and tugged at the top of her purse. "How much do you have and how badly do you want a gun?" he slyly asked, knowing that she had to be fairly desperate if she was still listening to him. The girl reeked of money but he'd been around long enough to know that the biggest houses often hid the biggest secrets.

Brooke pulled out her reserve of cash and carefully estimated what was left after her baby gift buying spree. "I've got four hundred," she said, looking the guy directly in the eye. She wasn't in much of a bargaining position at this point.

He cocked his head for a moment as his eyes roved her body. He yanked on her wrist for a moment and pointed more precisely to her diamond tennis bracelet. "I want that on top of the money," he demanded, dropping her wrist.

Sighing, Brooke unlatched the bracelet her Daddy had given her for her 16th birthday and tossed it at him. She then handed him the carefully folded wad of bills before holding out her purse and motioned toward the gun. "This is highway robbery," she muttered as he dropped the gun into her Birkin bag.

Smiling laconically at her he motioned her toward the street, indicting that their transaction was indeed over. "Be glad I don't want the purse, Princess," he said, before heading back into his shop.

Brooke clutched her prized purse and slowly wandered toward her car.

* * *

Wow...it's been nearly 5 weeks since I last posted. I'm concerned that I'm losing people with either the storyline or the speed of the storyline. Or maybe it's sucky writing, lol. Feedback would really be appreciated at this point, in order to inspire me to write. At this point, the story is losing out to reruns of Law and Order. God knows what will happen when hockey season kicks back up.

What is Brooke up to?

How does Luke react to therapy?

What lenghts will Karen and Dan go to in order to "fix" Luke?

When will people find out about Brooke?

Thanks for reading and replying.


	64. Chapter 64

A new chapter! This has a lot of psycho babble (what do you expect with a master's in counseling psych?) but the information is relevant to the story.

Warning: Mild sex is approaching! Sensitive types probably shouldn't be reading this story!

* * *

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 64

* * *

The late afternoon sun peaked behind a pair of clinical blinds as Dan impatiently shifted in the overstuffed chair. Dr. Andrew's office was obviously a bogus attempt to infuse a faux relaxed atmosphere with a certain level of professional credibility. At this point, Dan was grateful that he wasn't laid out on some couch as the good doctor attempted to fix him and his family. The counseling sessions had shifted from the family to the various members of the Scott family. Apparently, the good doctor was supposed to be more helpful by talking to them alone, Dan mused. While he was dying to know what Lucas was telling the doctor, Dan didn't particularly like being under the microscope himself.

Dr. Andrews felt Dan's impatience. This was a dynamic family that would never learn peace and harmony by sitting still or meditating. "I often find there are three levels of re-entering a child's life," he commented, ignoring Dan's impatience. "The father needs to heal and forgive himself, honor and respect the child's mother, and then focus on fixing the relationship with your child."

Dan glanced over at the man in confusion. "I've already fixed things with Karen," he replied, not understanding why the Doctor wasn't focusing on Luke. His oldest son was the driving force behind seeking therapy.

The Doctor rephrased his comment. "The question is, have your healed yourself?" he quietly asked. "Have you forgiven yourself for what you did to your girlfriend and child?" He could see the confusion on Dan's face that the man wasn't exactly in touch with his own emotions.

Dan hesitated again, wondering what the man wanted him to say. "I don't understand how any of this fixes Luke," he replied. Dan was growing antsy. He'd researched psychiatrists in the area and felt he'd found someone that could personally understand Luke's problems. He didn't get why the doctor seemed more focus on him than his son.

The older man looked over at Dan and smiled. "You can't fix your child until you fix yourself. And it's not just Lucas. You need to learn to be a better father to Nathan and the upcoming baby."

Dan grew annoyed at the man's insinuations. "I've taken care of Nate his entire life. I put a roof over his head and food on the table," he began before getting cut off by the Doctor.

"You financially supported Nathan which is a basic necessity that you denied Lucas," he replied. "However, it's not just about money, Dan. It's about nurturing your child and bonding with them over something more than sports. On some levels, Luke is still an abandoned five year old that doesn't have a daddy. It's colored every aspect of his life and you can't wipe that away by suddenly paying for a suit and asking him about his grades."

Dr. Andrews could see that his words were starting to sink in a bit so he continued. "If you want to have a better relationship with all your children, you need to learn to be a better father. You don't get "fixed" kids by taking them to a shrink. You get better kids by getting to know them and fulfilling their emotional and physical needs."

Dan slammed his hand against the arm of the stuffed chair. "I didn't abandon Nathan. And I'm not going to walk out on this baby," he emphatically stated. He'd learned his lessons from Lucas and he was going to be a better father to his new child.

Sighing, the Doctor leaned closer to Dan. "Were you an engaged father with Nathan? Can you recall attending PTA meetings and being involved in any parts of his life outside of sports?" He wanted Dan to understand that a father could be living with a child and not have a clue about who the child was or what he was thinking or feeling. "How does Nate feel about losing his mother?"

The question caught Dan off guard. "He's sad. How do you think he feels?" Dan asked, not understanding where the man was going with this line of questions.

"Do you ever talk about his mother?" Dr. Andrews asked, knowing from his conversation with Nathan that Deb was barely mentioned in the Scott household.

Dan shifted his long legs uneasily as he thought about the question. "We go to her grave together every year on the anniversary of her death," Dan quietly replied. "I think talking about her makes him sad." Dan had hoped that the pain of Deb's death would eventually diminish for Nathan. He'd never considered that it was growing over time.

"How do you think your relationship with Karen affects the memory of his mother?" Dr. Andrews asked, hoping Dan would see the situation from his son's point of view.

Dan tried to recall the few conversations he'd had with Nathan regarding the new baby and Karen. "He seems happy that I'm not alone any more. He said something about not wanting to be a babysitter regarding the baby," Dan replied. There was so much going on that the details were fuzzy.

Dr. Andrew watched as Dan struggled to recall the conversations that Nathan had effortless discussed with him. "Do you think he might feel threatened by Karen? That maybe he views her as a replacement for his mother and competition for your affection and attention?"

The question seemed to stun Dan. "This isn't a competition. He knows that his mom and Karen have nothing to do with each other."

The doctor raised his eyebrows as if to disagree with Dan's assessment of the situation. "Your son seems to think that if you'd done right by Karen that you'd never have slept with his mother and he wouldn't exist today," Dr. Andrews related, knowing that the reemergence of his half brother and Karen were deeply affecting Nathan.

Dan looked at the other man in shock. "He told you that?" The Doctor nodded. "Your son seems to think that once you "fix things" with Lucas, you'll have a complete replacement set and he won't be needed any more."

Dan shook his head in disbelief. Nathan was so very different from his brother that it seemed hard to think he could be replaced. "How do I reassure him that's not true?" Dan asked. It was hard to take in all the information the doctor was throwing at him. He was unsettled by the idea that Nathan had all these feelings that he'd never discussed with Dan.

"Spend time with him. Bring up little things about his mother that he might not know, like things that you did when you were a young couple or little quirks about her personality. Make sure that you talk about her to him so that he feels like he still has a connection to his mother. Involve him in discussions about what's going to happen with you and Karen and the new baby. Don't assume that Nate doesn't care or doesn't want to talk about it just because Lucas doesn't want to talk about it. Show him that you still honor Deb's memory and the role she played in your life. That will help Nate see that you can be with Karen but still value Deb's memory," he suggested, hoping that Dan could start to redefine the relationship with his son. While Nathan was fairly stable, there were a few insecurities in him that the counselor wanted to resolve.

Dan nodded in agreement. "I can do that. But what do I do about Lucas?" he asked, concerned that he was going to lose both sons by trying to reach out to the other.

The Doctor patted Dan on the back. "Patience and time. Provide him with stability and listen to him when he rants. Be firm with the alcohol abuse and let him know there are consequences but give his anger toward you validity by listening calmly and attentively."

The doctor took in Dan's tense shoulders. "Are you taking care of yourself?" he asked, seeing that Dan was surprised by his concern. "I know that you are running between two houses and managing two businesses. Are you eating and sleeping enough?"

Dan rubbed his eyes. "There aren't enough hours in the day. If I'm with Karen, I feel guilty about leaving Nathan alone across town. If I'm at Karen's business, I feel guilty about my own employees. I've really relied on my vice-president to take care of the dealership. I just wish I could consolidate the living situation, so I could help enforce Luke's curfew and spend time with Nathan AND take care of Karen and the baby."

"Have you thought about asking Nathan to move over to Karen's house?" he asked.

Dan shook his head. "Karen's house is much too small. She's only got two bedrooms and we don't think Nate and Lucas can tolerate that. I thought about moving them to my house, but I didn't think it was a good time," he admitted. The scary part was that Dan had no clue how he was going to continue this pace after the baby was born. He needed time that he could spend bonding with the baby and not just herding his sons and employees about.

"It's not going to be an easy road," he offered, knowing that people in Dan's position usually wanted more reassurance than he could realistically offer. "Take it one day at a time and continue working on the things we've discussed."

Dan stood up and thanked the man, shocked that the hour had passed by so quickly. He wasn't a big believer of counseling but at least he'd gotten a lot of practical ideas from the session. He could only hope that the good doctor could help his sons.

* * *

Brooke shoved the half eaten carton of Chinese food on her nightstand and indulged in a luxurious stretch. Leaning back against a pile of black silk pillows, Luke took a moment to appreciate how much skin her stretching revealed. His lecherous thoughts turned serious as he noticed how skinny she was. He peered around his girlfriend and noticed that she'd barely touched her food.

"You need to eat more," he softly admonished. Luke could tell the stress of her family was taking a physical toll on Brooke. Her mother and step-father were off on another trip, leaving the two of them alone in the relative safety of her empty bedroom. Any night away from his mother was better than being in his own bedroom.

Brooke laughed at his concerned tone. "You know what they say. You can never be too skinny or too rich." She leaned back against her headboard and laid her head against his chest.

Pondering his words, Lucas gently rubbed her hair. "I can't see that any of it has made you happy."

She had to admit that his words contained a lot of truth. There had been so little joy in her life that it was hard to appreciate good times when they came along. Part of her was always holding back, waiting for something bad to happen. As much as she trusted Luke, part of her feared losing him. There was an enormous power that came with being dependent on another person.

"Well," she finally replied, "I got some great shoes out of it." Shoes that she'd have given up in a second for a loving parent.

He looked at her for a moment before asking the question that had always been on the edge of his thoughts. "What would you do if the money were gone?" he asked. Luke had never had any money so he knew he could survive just about anything. He was used to making do with whatever he could scrounge up.

She frowned at his question, mentally reviewing her weekly expenditures on manicures, waxing and shopping. Her monthly spa bill was probably more than most of her teachers made in a month. "I don't know," she honestly answered, always amazed that he cared what she thought. "I've always thought my value was looking pretty and wearing expensive clothes." What would she do if she had to rely on more than her image to get by?

"I think you'd be fine," he replied, appraising her with his cool blue eyes. "You are a strong woman, Brooke Davis. You may have forgotten that lately, but I think you are a survivor."

Her dimples lit up at his words, remembering a time when she felt like she ruled the world rather than the world ruling her. "If I lost the money, would I lose the miserable parents?"

He reached over and traced one of her dimples. He loved that Brooke could try to find something good in such a dismal life. "I'm glad your miserable parents hooked up because I got you."

She timidly smiled at his kind words. She was not accustomed to people saying nice words to her. "I'm glad you were born, too," she whispered, reaching out to touch his shoulder. She loved his shoulders. His body reminded her of the classical Greek statues she'd seen in European museums.

He pulled her to him, so that her tiny body was straddling his long legs. Lucas nuzzled her against him, his senses inflamed by the satiny feel of her skin and the scent of her perfume.

Encouraged by his sudden ardor, Brooke leaned down and gently kissed him. She parted his lips with her tongue, teasing him as she tempted him. Brooke was frustrated at times with his refusal to have sex with her. Other times, she was grateful that he didn't want to take that step when they were drunk or high. Still, she craved intimacy with him.

Luke groaned as their kisses grew more passionate. He fingers slid under the tiny straps of her tank top as his lips found the soft skin of her neck. His hands slid down her back and over her hips, his palms moving over her soft skin with such urgency that he could feel her body tremble beneath them. He'd wanted this for so long that he couldn't image walking away when his mind knew that he should. They'd been together for over four months now. Luke didn't know what he was waiting for or if it was fear that made him walk away any time they got close to being intimate. He forced himself to stop thinking and moved his lips to trace the gentle curve of her neck.

Brooke's head arched back to give access to the sensitive hollows of her throat. A low moan rose from deep within her as his palms cupped her hips, pressing her against his aroused body. Luke raised his head and paused a moment. Brooke waited for him to withdraw, to make excuses for why he couldn't go on. He dropped a gentle kiss on the end of her nose. "You are on the pill, right?" he hesitantly asked.

Brooke nodded at him. "It's always a priority for me." Unlike Karen, she didn't plan on being a pregnant prom queen. He smiled at her for a second. "Do you have any condoms?" If one type of birth control was good, two was even better. Luke had learned one lesson from the life of Dan Scott: You could never have enough birth control.

Laughing, Brooke pulled away and reached into her nightstand drawer, hesitating when she felt the cold steel of her newly purchased gun. Lucas leaned over, kissing her back and moving toward the drawer before she quickly pulled out several condoms and slammed it shut, nearly slicing a few of his fingers off in the process. "Not even Scott wiggle puppies could break through these," she teased, knowing that Lucas was just looking out for her welfare.

She took a quick glance at the drawer and her illicit weapon, before turning her full attention toward her boyfriend. There was no need to freak Lucas out about her purchase at the pawn shop.

Grabbing the condoms, he pulled her back to the bed and rolled her over, delighting in the happy squeals of the petite girl under him. He reached up and pulled off his shirt, pausing a moment as he felt Brooke's small hands loosening the buttons on his jeans.

She slowly pulled the jeans down his legs, marveling at the body that was revealed.

Sighing, Lucas leaned back on the bed as she kissed her way up his body. She nibbled on his nipple for a moment, but sitting up and taking off her tank top. Luke smiled at the sight of the naked beautiful girl in front of him. Reaching up, he explored her breasts eagerly, drawing his palms over the rose tipped mounds until the nipples hardened beneath them, eliciting a soft moan from Brooke.

She looked down at him for a second, before he rolled her over. "Are you sure about this?" he gently asked, never wanting to do anything that she wasn't comfortable with.

Brooke's heart contracted a bit, as she realized that this boy was so kind and protective. That he cared about her mind and body.

She reached up and gently rubbed his cheek. "I want this, Lucas. I've wanted this for so long." He reached over and kissed her hand, lying on top of her. They had all night to make it right.

* * *

Dan patiently waited for the tea to brew before pouring it into a delicate cup. He grabbed a plate of saltines and cheese wedges and walked them over to the couch where Karen lay curled up. She was recovering from a bout of morning sickness and was trying to re-hydrate herself. Her blood pressure was particularly evaluated this week, which was a major concern of the doctors.

"Thanks," she softly said, taking the cup of steaming liquid from Dan's sturdy hands. "I don't know what I'd do without you," she replied. It took a lot for her to depend on him after all these years. But she'd come to look forward to the time she and Dan spent together. She'd rediscovered a long lost friend during the past few months.

Leaning back in one of her worn chairs, Dan smiled at her indulgently. "I'm glad you appreciate me when I bring you food and drink." She laughed at his words for a moment. "I appreciate you do the accounting for my business a LOT more," she admitted. Truth was, Karen didn't know how she'd get along with his help. Besides the morning sickness and affects of her blood pressure, she'd found her balance precariously compromised. Small bruises doted her arms and legs from where she'd run into various objects in the house.

Sighing, Dan realized that the sun was going to come up in a bit, Lucas was no where to be found, and that he needed to go home and get ready for work. He was getting tired of roaming between homes. He looked over at Karen with a sudden inspiration.

"Marry me," he quietly asked, gaining her attention from the breaking dawn coming through the window.

"What?" Karen asked, confused about the sudden switch in topics.

Dan shifted toward where she lay on the couch, picking up more confidence with each passing moment. "Marry me. We'll bring the boys together, live under one roof and bring this baby home to a single house with a single family."

It was so clear to him now. He could take care of everyone if he just had them under a single roof. "Marry me," he emphatically restated.

Karen leaned back against the sofa and took in his words. They were both exhausted. But his words made sense. One family, one house, one life. And it was really something she'd dreamed of most of her life. She was so close to getting what she'd always wanted in her life.

She looked up at him and reached out and grazed his hand. "Yes. I'll marry you."

* * *

Boy! And you thought Luke was finally getting a break.

A new chapter! Thanks for the awesome comments for the last chapter. I'm nearing the end of my stockpile of chapters, which means I'm soon going to post as I write. That's just scary given the amount of over time I'm working and my big bad certification test coming up. So, replies help distract me away from studying and making note cards!

Lot's of drama is approaching. To clarify from last chapter, Haley didn't tell Nate that Brooke bought a gun. Haley and Brooke had gone their separate ways when Brooke was approached by the Pawn Shop guy. Haley told Nate that Brooke TRIED to buy a gun, but she doesn't know that Brooke went back later and GOT a gun. Just a minor note on that. And yes, it's important later on.

Have a great day!


	65. Chapter 65

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 65

* * *

_Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way_

Anna Karenina –Tolstoy

..

..

Dr. Andrews leaned back in his chair and watched as Lucas Scott nervously shifted in the overstuffed leather in front of his desk.

"So how's your week going?" the older man casually asked, realizing that the boy in front of him would rather be in a dentist's chair. He needed to go slow in order to get the boy to talk.

Lucas frowned at the man, knowing that his attempt to create a laid back environment was fake. The guy was just fishing around for information to tell Dan and his mother. He looked up at the doctor and smiled an equally fake smile. "Oh things are just swell. I'm all better so I can stop coming to see you."

The doctor laughed at his sarcasm and decided against telling him that he was very much like his father. "But if you stop coming to see me what would I do with my Friday afternoons?"

Shifting in the large chair, Lucas shrugged his tense shoulders. "Probably prey on the rest of my family since you are probably making a fortune out of all these counseling sessions." Besides the family counseling session on Tuesday nights, the good doctor was seeing all four members of the Scott family individually.

The doctor nodded at the boy. "Thank god someone's helping me pay the bills around here." He'd found that the ability to diffuse angry teenagers was an invaluable tool for his practice. He motioned Luke around his desk and pulled open his top desk drawer. "Would you like some gum? A lot of clients feel like it helps the anxiety," he revealed, attempting to create some kind of conversation with this very quiet boy.

Luke peered into the drawer at the copious amount of gum, noting the variety of brands.

Dr. Andrews poked around the various packets before asking, "What do you think?"

Lucas walked back over to the leather chair and sat down. "I think you like to upset people and steal their gum," he sullenly replied. The doctor laughed as he picked up a pack of gum and offered it to the boy. "Would you like a piece of Mrs. Brown's Juicy Fruit?"

A frown crossed Luke's face for a moment. "I thought you weren't supposed to discuss your patients or what goes on in this place," he replied, concerned that the man was talking about Luke and his family to other patients.

Dr. Andrews dropped the gum as his demeanor grew serious. "It was a joke, Lucas. I don't have a patient named Mrs. Brown. I don't steal gum from patients either," he calmly explained. "I'm trying to stop smoking and the gum actually calms me down." Some times it helped people see that the doctor had flaws, too.

Leaning back into the chair, Luke motioned to the box of tissues on the table. "Those aren't the same ones from earlier this week," he noticed. Luke realized early on that the more he could deflect from actually talking to the doctor about his family, the faster these sessions went.

Dr. Andrews smiled at his lame attempt to run down the hour. "I think you are a very observant young man," he replied, smiling at his own pun. Luke stared at him suspiciously. "Do you make a lot of people cry?"

The older man leaned back in his chair and considered the boy's question. "Sometimes. But I have allergies and I tend to use them more than anyone," he casually replied. "Are you finished with running down the clock or should we add another fifteen minutes on to this hour?"

Luke scowled at his words and slumped down in the chair, knowing that the doctor wasn't as stupid as he appeared. The guy spent so much time asking questions and restating what was said in sessions that Luke thought he was a bit daft. Clearly, the guy wasn't as slow as he initially thought.

Dr. Andrews silently watched Lucas for a moment, before getting up out of his chair and grabbing his coat. "Come on, let's get out of here," he stating, moving past a confused Lucas. He stopped in the doorway, and motioned toward Luke's coat. "Let's go."

* * *

Brooke moved stealthily across the marble entryway, wincing as her kitten heels tapped lightly across the hard, cold floor. She glanced around furtively; making sure no rogue maid was lurking around Trey's office. Brooke swiftly moved toward Trey's massive oak desk, intent on finding her Daddy's new cell number. She frowned for a moment, wondering why he'd change the number and not tell her about it. Of course, he was in Europe by the looks of his last postcard, which complicated matters greatly.

She'd been so overwhelmed lately. Her fear was like a blister that never quite healed when you still wore shoes. It was raw and growing by the day. Brooke couldn't help but think that there had to be a better solution to her situation. Although she had her gun in the top drawer of her nightstand, Brooke still felt uneasy in her house. She just needed to call her Daddy and convince him to get her an apartment. He had to understand that living with both her mother and stepfather was difficult at best. She fumbled a moment, wondering why her Daddy seemed to be in contact with Trey and not her.

She slammed Trey's address book down on the desk, before the filing cabinet in the corner caught her eye. Brooke threw open a drawer and thumbed through the file folders until she saw a manila folder with her name typed neatly on the tab. Falling into Trey's leather desk chair, she quickly flipped through the documents. Most were bland forms related to school or medical visits. A page with an official looking letterhead caught her attention. Staring at the paper, her hands shook. The address under the official looking seal set her heart racing. Brooke managed to carefully re-file the folder, before racing out the door. She had to find Lucas.

* * *

Five minutes later the doctor and Lucas were walking by the waterfront, taking in the last rays of the shortened fall sun. "Why are we out here?" Luke demanded. "Shouldn't I be stretched out on your couch or something?" He surreptitiously slid his new cell phone out of his hoodie pouch, concerned as he read a cryptic text from Brooke.

Dr. Andrew's cleared his throat and motioned toward the cell phone. "I detest those gadgets," he said, insisting that clients turn the damn things off when in session with him.

Luke reluctantly pulled his focus away from Brooke's message. "You should complain to Daddy Dan. He got all of us phones on the 'family' plan," Luke bitterly retorted. He hated the electronic leash his parents had tethered him with, but he did like the fact that Brooke could contact him 24/7. It was merely the price of doing business with the devil. It figured that his first cell phone would be given to him by his greatest enemy.

The doctor leaned against the rail of the pier and smiled at the boy. A change of setting was a good way to throw him off balance and attempt to get the boy to open up. "We can talk out here just as well as in my office," Dr. Andrews said.

Luke slowly exhaled, sick of the constantly changing rules in his life. "Whatever. Let's just hurry up so I can go see my girlfriend."

"Tell me about your girlfriend," the older man casually asked, having heard Karen rail against the girl for weeks.

Luke's eyes narrowed at the question. "Why, so you can psychoanalyze what I say and then use it to get her out of my life?" His tone was bitter, as it was with most adults in his life these days.

The doctor took in his vitriolic words and realized that the kid felt attacked on all sides. "I'm not here to pass judgment or attack anyone. I simply asked about your girlfriend. She seems like an important part of your life."

Lucas walked over to a bench and sat down. "She's a great person," he slowly began, knowing that the shrink wasn't going to let him get away without some kind of a conversation. "I totally trust her and can depend on her."

The doctor walked over and sat down next to the boy. "It's good that you've got someone dependable and trustworthy in your life," he replied, taking in the boy's defensive posture. "Everyone needs someone like that."

"My mother doesn't seem to think so. She hates Brooke," Luke replied, his words nearing begging the man for a fight about his girlfriend's value.

Dr. Andrews stretched slightly and looked over at Lucas. "Parents often find ways of blaming others for their own shortcomings," he carefully replied. He didn't need to start a war between himself and Ms. Roe. Or give the boy something else to argue about with his mother. "Is there anything particularly wrong with Brooke from your mom's point of view?"

Lucas considered the man's words. Karen blamed Brooke for so many things that it was hard to figure out what really bothered her about the girl. "Mom thinks she's making me drink and skip school."

"Is there any truth to that?" Dr. Andrews asked, knowing that Karen's opinion of the girl was at least partially true to some extent. He needed to show Lucas that he was at least open to discussing the positive attributes of his girlfriend.

"I mean, she drinks," Lucas stumbled out. "We all drink, it's not like she's an alcoholic. She can go weeks without drinking." He felt the need to protect Brooke and prove that she wasn't the one wrecking havoc on his life.

"Genetics play a strong role in substance abuse, Luke," Dr. Andrews explained. "Some people can drink a keg and not have a problem and other people can take a sip and be addicted."

"We're not addicts," Lucas practically yelled, drawing the attention people walking by their bench. "Brooke's not had anything to drink in a while and I just drink to relax."

The doctor gave him a critical look. "Drinking to relax is a classic sign of substance abuse, Luke."

Luke fell back against the bench and crossed his arms across his chest. "You'd be drinking too if your life was this fucked up," he spat out. Drinking was the only way he could stop himself from running Dan Scott over. Well, that and the fact that he didn't own a car.

The doctor listened to his words and encouraged him to continue speaking. "What is so fucked up about it?" he quietly asked.

"Like my mom and Dan haven't told you already," Luke complained. "I hate Dan and they can't force me to get along with him. I don't care if my mom pushes out five more Satan spawns, I will never be part of that sick family." He leaned back, content that he'd adequately expressed his disgust.

"I agree," Dr. Andrews said, drawing Luke's attention. "No matter what your mother says or does, she can't force you to forgive Dan." His words gained Luke's interest. It was the first time any adult had validated his anger about Dan's abrupt presence in his life. "You will either forgive Dan or you won't."

He looked at the doctor suspiciously, not knowing how to take his words. "I think you need to tell my mother that."

"I told your mother that last week," the older man revealed. "Look, I don't care if you decide to hate Dan until one of you drop dead of hypertension. However, I do care if you drink yourself into a stupor and drown your pain in your girlfriend."

Lucas looked down at a dark spot on the worn wood of the pier. The doctor leaned in closer toward him. "Luke, you need to learn to deal with problems in a healthy way. Getting wasted as a way to avoid things that cause you pain is not a good long term strategy."

Luke shook his head in anger. "What I need is a mother who doesn't inflict pain on me," he sullenly replied. Dr. Andrew's ears perked up in interest at his words. "So this is really more about Karen than it is about Dan?" he slowly questioned.

Luke sighed desperately wishing to get the hell away from this town. "I don't understand why she's trying to hurt me like this," he finally said, afraid to continue down that line of thought. He expected Dan to hurt him, but his mother was his rock and her actions had nearly taken his will to live.

He watched the boy in concern. He'd suspected that Lucas was suffering from a mild form of depression stemming from his family drama. It was good that Luke was attempting to talk his problems out, rather than drown the pain in alcohol. "I don't think Karen wants to hurt you. More than likely, she thinks she's easing your pain by providing you with a family and a father."

"But forcing me to hang around Dan isn't what I want," Lucas emphatically stated. Why no else could see this was beyond Luke's comprehension.

The doctor smiled at Luke's words. "I know that. Dan knows that, as well."

Luke rolled his eyes at the man. "I'm so glad that Dan hired someone to be on his side," Luke snidely commented, as he looked around for a clock. It had to be time for him to go, he thought.

"Actually, I think he hired me to be on your side," Dr. Andrews revealed.

* * *

The fall weather crept in around Haley and Nathan as they walked toward the Café. Nathan dragged his feet, eager to find any distraction to keep him from meeting his Dad and Karen. Dan's text message had been brief, telling him to be at the Café in an hour or else.

Haley tugged on his arm and smiled at the truculent look on her boyfriend's face. "It's not like you can bail on your dad, Nate," she said, ignoring an older couple on the sidewalk.

"Trust me when I say that Dan and Karen calling a meeting is not a good thing," Nathan sullenly replied. He'd really tried the past few weeks, but both his dad and Karen were getting on his nerves. "They probably want Luke and I to help pick out wall paper for the baby."

Haley wrapped her arm through his and tried to give him as much support as she could. Between Karen, Lucas and Nathan, she was pretty drained. A frown momentarily covered her face. Nothing in the Scott Family drama could match the anxiety that accompanied Brooke Davis. "It seems like everyone's pretty stressed out right now," she slowly replied, not feeding Nate's ambivalence about the impending bundle of joy.

He stopped walking for a moment and gazed out at the river. "It's so deceptive," he said, gesturing to the water just visible in the setting sun. "It looks so smooth on the surface, but you know that the undertow is just waiting to grab you."

Haley considered his words for a moment, never surprised at the deep thoughts that Nathan rarely expressed in front of other people. "Families can have a nasty undertow," she quietly commented. Even her vivacious family had issues. "Maybe having a sibling will be a good thing," she added, attempting to get him to open up.

Nathan had barely acknowledged the impending sibling, which was still better than Lucas, who had refused to discuss it all. For all her drama, at least Brooke was the one person she didn't have to force conversation from. It might not ever be relevant conversation, but at least the girl knew how to carry on a discussion.

"I don't see how this is going to work," Nathan tersely replied, finally breaking his gaze from the water. "Dan can't share a basketball, let alone a baby. Add in Lucas and this is heading for disaster."

She leaned back against the railing of the wharf. "I know he's being difficult right now, Nate, but he's really upset," she said, attempting to explain Luke's behavior.

Nathan's intense blue eyes narrowed at her words. "I'm upset too, Haley. But you don't see me taking it out on my team. He's putting himself before the team and that's unacceptable." In the long run, it might not matter since Whitey had threatened to bench his brother for missing practice and general suckitude in games. But the lack of discipline annoyed Nathan.

Haley looked at him at the low light of the street lamp. "Maybe you also think that Dan is putting Karen and the baby before you," she softly suggested, feeling that Nate's sense of loyalty was being assaulted on more than one side.

He looked away from her for a moment before softly admitting, "Yeah, maybe a little." Nathan grabbed her hand and held it for a moment, trying to find the best words. "My entire life I've felt like a lead weight to my dad. I don't think he wanted to marry my mom. I'm not sure he wanted to be my father," Nathan slowly admitted. "When I was a kid I thought I could show him my value by being a good basketball player. But what if it's not enough?" Dan pretty much sucked as a father but now there were three kids fighting for his attention.

Her heart contracted at Nate's words. For such a swaggering jock, he was profoundly insecure about the most important relationships in his life. "For what it's worth, I know Dan loves you," she slowly began, not wanting to be an apologist for his overbearing father. "I think it's hard for him to show you affection because Roy isn't affectionate," she carefully theorized. Dan and Roy were always two topics that could provoke a rant from her boyfriend.

Nate frowned at the convenient explanation. "I think that analysis makes you an arm chair psychologist," he replied, tired of people trying to pick his brain about his relationships. "You're starting to sound like that shrink they make me go see."

Haley ignored the gaggle of girls who passed them on the sidewalk, wishing they were having this conversation in private. "What do you think about Dr. Andrews?" she casually asked, knowing that Lucas wasn't happy about the appointments they were forced to go to.

"He spends more time asking me about my mom than anything," Nathan revealed, having successfully avoided discussing the sessions up to this point. "There are a lot of Lucas questions, too"

"What kind of Lucas questions?" she gently prompted.

Sighing, he shifted his weight, hesitant to talk about the person that caused them so much grief. "Just stupid questions about how we get along and what it's like to play on the same team with him. He thinks we're both too competitive."

Haley snorted at his words. "You think? I've never seen so many generations of testosterone in one family, Nate." She noticed that he didn't wince when people referred to Lucas as his family anymore, which Haley had to think was part of the shrink's goal. "Maybe if you and Luke have brother or sister in common, you'll find your own common ground."

He considered her words for a moment and wondered if he was betraying his mother's memory. "Maybe, but I think Lucas isn't going to accept this without a fight." He just hoped that Brooke didn't get caught up in his brother's anger.

* * *

Luke looked over at him in shock. "Lucas, my father walked out on me when I was eight. He went out for a jog and he kept on running." He wanted Lucas to understand that he could personally relate to his father issues.

Luke leaned closer to the man, suddenly interested in what he was saying. The doctor waited a second for a noisy bus to pass before continuing. "It took me nearly two decades and a psychiatry degree to let the anger go."

"You were angry?" Luke slowly asked, feeling a bit better about this shrink. There weren't too many people that he felt he could talk to lately.

"Pathologically so," Dr. Andrews replied. "Nothing he said or did ever totally soothed that anger. I'll probably always be mad at him on some level." He actually understood Luke's pain and sense of abandonment, if not the boy's totally destructive method of dealing with it. "It's okay to be angry, Luke. But it's not okay to destroy yourself in the process. You can't support your girlfriend or get a college degree, or find your own happiness at the end of a bottle."

Luke slumped back into the bench. "So you are telling me to get over it?"

"No. I'm suggesting that your anger not consume you in the process. Be mad at your father. Be upset at your mom's decisions. But find a way to stay sober and go to school so that you can get some distance between you and them. You aren't on a good road, my friend. And you aren't going to fix things by breaking laws to piss off your mom."

"She's too busy worrying about Dan and the new baby," Luke retorted, upset that he'd fallen so far on her list of priorities.

"She's having a difficult pregnancy, Luke. And I can tell you that she's deeply concerned about you. She loves you even if you can't tell that by her actions."

"So you are taking her side?" he asked, incredulous that someone who'd suffered a similar background could judge him for the same thing.

"I'm not taking anyone's side. I'm merely suggesting that you find a less destructive way to deal with your anger. Dan realizes that you may never forgive him, but he is attempting to be your father. And more importantly, he's trying to be a good father to your future sibling."

Luke looked down at the ground at the doctor's gently reproaching words. "You don't want another child coming into a world without a father, do you?" Dr. Andrews gently asked. He could tell that Lucas was an empathetic person from their previous conversations. He just wanted to help the boy realize that demonizing the new baby wouldn't make his own life any better.

"The baby isn't my concern," he softly replied. "After all, it will have two parents to look after it, while I'm all alone."

"You aren't alone, Lucas. You have two parents who love you and an extended family who want you to be happy. It's just a matter of finding a way to balance that with your desire to make your father pay for his past actions."

Lucas considered his words for a moment. "Dan will never pay for anything," he finally said, realizing that it was the truth. "He'll continue to do what he wants with little regard for the damage he does."

The doctor nodded, seeing the anger slip back over the boy's façade. He'd planted a spark and that was all that he could accomplish in an hour. "I'll see you Tuesday night," he replied, waving the boy off.

Luke stared at him suspiciously for a moment, before heading off to the Rivercourt. Brooke needed him and that was more important than any propaganda Dr. Andrews was attempting to sell.

* * *

Wow...I've been trying to post this since Friday but wouldn't let it go through. Thanks for reading and replying. I always love to hear what you think about a chapter, good or bad.

Have a great holiday weekend!


	66. Chapter 66

Bad words ahead. Caution!

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 66

* * *

Luke sank onto the bleachers and stared at Brooke in confusion. "I don't understand what this means," he slowly replied, straining to read the neatly typed page in the dim light at the Rivercourt.

Brooke dropped her Hermes satchel purse on the worn asphalt in frustration. "It's an application for a Swiss boarding school," she explained, jabbing at the paper he held. Her voice was hysterical, allowing her to express the panic she'd contained while driving across town to the Rivercourt. She'd been stupid enough to think this month was going to be great, what with Lucas sex and her parents out of town. Every time she got her hopes up, something hit her flat between the eyes.

"I thought your mom had stopped threatening the boarding school thing," he slowly said, confused about Katherine's motivations. "If she was going to send you away, why didn't she do it years ago?"

Brooke pushed her hair behind her ear in frustration. "She probably isn't aware that some boarding schools take kids as young as six." Her mother had never been particularly interested in raising a child. Brooke was shocked that she'd not found a way to ship her off years ago. Of course, that was when her father was actually interested in his daughter. With her father gone, Katherine had no mitigating adult to stop her from sending Brooke away.

Frowning, Luke noticed the fine print at the bottom of the application form. "If the required deposit is 40,000 Swiss Francs then how much does the damn school cost?" he asked, shocked that a down payment could be more than his mother's income for an entire year. He glanced briefly at the expensive purse sitting on the asphalt, realizing that Brooke's family never worried about money.

Brooke sighed at the tone in his voice and the evil glances he was giving her purse. "These schools don't normally do payment plans, Lucas. It's the same school that my mother and grandmother attended. People who send their kids to this school don't exactly need to worry about money." There were times that the economic differences in their lives drove her to distraction. "I think you should be more worried about how long we'll be able to see each," she replied, pointing to the anticipated date of matriculation.

"January. She's going to send you away after Christmas," Luke slowly replied, as he absently reached into his hoodie pouch and pulled out the flask he'd started carrying around. His chest constricted at the idea of Brooke going away. His life pretty much sucked and he couldn't imagine getting through a single day without his girlfriend, especially since they were now on more intimate ground.

Brooked ignored his booze nip and kicked at the mangy grass that struggled to grow around the metal bleachers. "I might as well ask for ski clothes for Christmas," she despondently replied. Part of her brain realized that she had to figure a way out of this situation, rather than sitting around being passive. She'd been way too passive for too long.

Luke abruptly stood up. "Then we need to find a way to stop her from sending you away," he resolutely declared.

Brooke's eyes narrowed in concentration. The keys to both of their problems were their parents, but they were nearly two years away from being legal adults. An idea began to percolate in her mind. "You need to get to the Café or you'll get in trouble," she absently replied, already brainstorming ways around their common problem.

He stared at her for a moment, knowing that look on her face. "What are you going to do while I'm gone?"

She gave him that smile that fully highlighted her dimples. "I'm going to do some research."

* * *

Nate sat uneasily in the quiet Café, his eyes shifting between Dan and Karen. He'd reluctantly come to the Café at his dad's request, knowing a command when he heard it. His annoyance had turned to concern when he realized that the Café was empty. Nathan knew a set up when he saw it.

Dan noted his son's restless posture. "We're just waiting for Lucas," he explained, not sure if that was any comfort to the boy. Dan certainly wasn't looking forward to another confrontation with his oldest son. It didn't seem like any of the counseling sessions had an effect on Lucas's behavior. If anything, the boy seemed worse.

Nathan shrugged his shoulders at his dad's words. "Yeah, good luck with that. Whitey can't get him to come to practice and half the time he's not even at school," Nate retorted, pissed off that Luke seemed to be getting away with murder.

Karen lingered in the doorway to the kitchen, processing Nate's comments. She'd hoped that the counseling sessions would help her son but it seemed like Lucas was still in trouble. She looked down at the floor for a moment, wondering how he'd react to their news.

Her reverie was interrupted by Luke's arrival. He glanced around at the people lingering around the Café and was tempted to turn around and walk out. Nothing good could come from Dan, Karen and Nathan all in the same room.

Karen's heart tightened at the look of disgust that crossed her son's face. "Lucas, we need you to sit down so we can talk," she gently said, guiding him over to the table where Nate was sitting. Luke slowly sank down on the chair, noticing that his mother was doing that annoying stomach pat thing she'd started after the pregnancy test.

"This can't be good," he muttered to Nate, who nodded in agreement. Nathan slowly took in the way the adults were glancing at each other and couldn't take it anymore. "Just tell us what you have to say and stop giving each other those looks," he tersely stated, annoyed that neither Dan nor Karen could be straight with them. As much as Lucas annoyed him, he was always straightforward about his thoughts and intentions.

Dan moved closer to Karen, seeking to close ranks. "We've made some decisions concerning the future and we wanted to discuss them with you," Dan slowly started, hoping to cushion the blow for both boys.

Karen stepped in, knowing that the bulk of this was her responsibility. "We've been thinking about what to do when the baby is born and the best solution seems to be for us all to live in one house," she said, watching their reactions. Lucas continued staring down at the floor. He'd played this game with his mom for months. Luke knew the fastest way to get out of this hell was to shut the fuck up. Anything he said or thought was only going to cause him grief down the road.

The silence in the room grew. Dan finally had enough. "We think it's going to be too hard to bounce the baby between two homes. I think it would be better for all of us, especially you two, if we all moved into one house." Again, silence pervaded the room.

Frustrated, Karen threw her hands up in the air. "Do either one of you have anything to say about this?"

Nathan looked up at Karen. "Yeah, are you going to buy a new house or move into my mom's house?" he lightly asked. It was one thing to lose your house, but it was another thing to have some woman move in and take away all vestiges of your mother's presence.

Dan moved closer to Karen. "Nate, we don't want to move anyone, but unfortunately, Karen's house is too small for us to live in. The best option is for Karen and Lucas to move into our house. We have an extra room for Lucas and another for a nursery for the baby."

Lucas was ticked that they'd already started mentally moving the furniture into the house. Not that Karen listened to anything he wanted or needed anymore. It was all about Big Daddy Dan and what he wanted.

Karen worried that Lucas had yet to say anything. "Lucas? You seem kind of quiet," she prompted, hoping to get a reaction out of him.

Luke looked up sharply, making eye contact with his mother for the first time in weeks. "I want to move in with Keith and Anna," he tersely said, not seeing a point in mincing words. He was annoyed when Karen looked over at Dan in concern.

"Luke, Keith is expecting his own child and I'm sure that he and Anna don't need any distractions," Dan replied. Lucas fought the urge to ask when he'd become nothing more than a distraction in his Uncle's life. Unlike Dan, Keith had always wanted Luke in his life.

He leaned back in his chair, resolved to find a way out of this hell. "I won't live under the same roof as him," he angrily gestured toward Dan. "I don't care if you want to shack up with him, but I shouldn't have to give up my home."

Dan watched as all the color drained from Karen's face. The doctor was very close to ordering bed rest for her. The constant fights with Lucas couldn't be good for her health.

He stepped between Karen and Lucas, determined to end this once and for all. "You can't live by yourself and there are no other options than moving into my house."

He considered standing up and telling Dan where he could shove his house, but opted to stay seated. It's not like a reasonable argument would do any good. Karen was too busy nesting with the demon child to care about her oldest son.

Karen hesitated, seeing absolute hatred on Luke's face. Dan decided to just get it over with so Lucas could expend all his fury in one meeting. "We don't think it's a good idea to 'shack up', as Luke so eloquently put it, so we've decided to get married."

"Shock," Nathan sarcastically said. "I mean, you always go for marriage after you've knocked a girl up," he said, not caring at the anger on his dad's face. Lucas smirked at Nate's words, knowing that the truth was something Dan liked to avoid.

Luke felt his body go numb. He'd suspected that Dan would attempt to make an honest woman of his mother, but he hadn't expected it this soon. His mind was spinning, trying to get some sort of grip on the situation. He needed time to work on Keith. The only person who could save him from this fate was his Uncle. "When is the not so happy event going to take place?" he asked.

Karen looked at her son, taking in his reaction with sadness. Part of her honestly thought that having a permanent tie to his father would help ease his pain. "We have tentatively planned for the end of December. You'll both be out of school and it should be easier to plan."

Picking up on her words, Nate looked at his father for clarification. "Plan? Like you are going to have a wedding?" He was in shock, thinking they'd do some kind of City Hall quickie ceremony.

Dan saw that both boys looked distressed at this news. "Well, it won't be a huge event, but we've decided to have a wedding at the church." He wanted Karen to have a wedding of some sort. It might not be the fancy wedding she'd dreamed about when they were kids, but he'd be damned if she didn't get some kind of wedding.

Lucas physically shrank back in his seat, nightmares of his very pregnant mom in a white wedding dress invading his mind. Nathan looked over at him and he could tell his brother was thinking the same thing.

Nate gestured at Karen's swollen stomach. "Don't you think a church wedding is a bit…inappropriate, given the situation?" Karen blushed a moment, having had the same thoughts.

"We've talked to the minister and he's more than happy to perform the ceremony for us," she said, hoping that someone would show a sign of happiness. "Guys, this doesn't have to be a disaster. I think living in the same house would allow all of us some time to get to know each other."

Lucas let the obvious comment go by, knowing that if he opened his mouth, he'd end up locked in his room the rest of his life. He focused on staring at a worn floorboard instead. It was better if he concentrated all his anger and hate into a little section of his soul, rather than give Dan the satisfaction of another fight. He feigned a yawn, before asking "are we through here? I've got something…I need to do."

Karen had back a sniffle before fleeing to the relative safety of the kitchen. Nate took advantage of her departure to escape the suffocating atmosphere of the Café. He made it to the door before realizing that Dan had grabbed Luke's arm and had him cornered. Nate felt mildly guilty for not dragging his brother out of there, but at this point, he had to take care of himself. It wasn't as if he had an Uncle in his corner waiting to protect him, Nate sadly thought.

Dan was angry. He'd watch the color drain from Karen's face and he knew the stress she was under wasn't good for the baby. The specialist in Chicago had suggested that Karen go on bed rest or at least elevate all stress in her life. Lucas seemed to delight in upsetting his mother. "If you want to pick a fight with me, so be it," Dan growled, keeping his voice purposely low so that their voices wouldn't carry into the kitchen. "But I won't allow you to keep upsetting your mother."

Lucas pulled away from his father, startled by the malicious tone in his voice. "Are you threatening me?" he asked, attempting to clarify his father's intent.

Dan straightened up, getting a bit of distance between them. "I'm telling you that you will either get with the program or else," his voice trailed off, making the words sound even more sinister.

Lucas considered the nonverbal threat in Dan's voice and hesitated before making his way toward the door. He paused and turned back to see Dan staring at him. A feeling of discomfort invaded him, carrying him out the door and to the safety of the sidewalk.

He needed to find Brooke. The hits were coming so fast and from so many different directions that Lucas could hardly walk. He was losing his internal compass and needed Brooke to orient himself.

Dan's words lingered in his mind. He didn't think the man would put a contract on his life or anything but part of him was really concerned about Dan's manner. It was almost as if Dan was close to achieving his greatest dream of marrying his mother and Lucas was now an obstacle to that goal.

This wasn't going anywhere good, he thought as he headed toward Brooke's house.

* * *

Whatever is Brooke up to? How pregnant will Karen be when she waddles down the aisle? Will I ever write another chapter before these characters end up in senior care? Or learn how to use a comma, for that matter?

Replies and comments are always appreciated, even the passive agressive ones! I've thought about posting my first OTH story to avoid not posting for weeks at a time. It's a bit less angsty than this one.

Thanks for reading!


	67. Chapter 67

Shock! A 12 page update! I didn't expect to post anything before my test, however Brucas equals love and stagediva sent really encouraging messages. So, thanks to everyone who gently prodded and reviewed. It really does make me stop studying and write, which probably won't help my test score any! I will update when things calm down. I appreciate all feedback and replies are always motivating.

* * *

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 67

* * *

The heat from the fireplace cracked as Keith stoked the burning log, finally easing his worn frame back on to the couch next to his silent nephew. Concerned about Lucas, he'd invited his nephew and his girlfriend over to his newly decorated house. Keith sensed that their relationship needed more of a stoking than the fire. He was at a loss for what to do about Lucas and the rapidly deteriorating relationship between the boy and his parents. God knows Keith had more than enough to preoccupy his time, with an impending baby and a new house, but he couldn't stop himself from wanting to intervene. The fact that his parents were now getting married after an entire lifetime of estrangement was more than any kid could handle.

"So what do you think about the house?" he asked, waving a hand vaguely toward the newly painted walls. Anna had gone through a manic bout of nesting since the last time his nephew had been over. His beautiful wife was currently upstairs, showing off the nursery to Brooke, who had been only too happy to oooh and ahhh over the baby furniture and paint selection.

Lucas leaned back against the over stuffed couch and smiled at his uncle. Keith radiated concern despite his attempts at casual conversation and inquiry. "It's nice. Anna's really talented with colors and stuff," he replied, not knowing how to describe all the things she'd whipped Keith into changing. "She's got you on a tight leash," he said, smiling at the proud look on his Uncle's face.

"Damn straight," Keith said, owning up to the fact that this woman had him completely under her control. "And it's a wonderful feeling, Lucas." He watched as his nephew's face dropped.

"I guess babies and new marriages should be happy events," he sadly replied, knowing that at least Keith was happy even if Luke's life was a living hell.

Keith picked up on his nephew's growing melancholy and decided to dive right on in. "Dan told me that you are all going to counseling," he commented, watching the anger that crossed his nephew's deep blue eyes. "How's that going for you? Do you like the shrink?"

Slowly exhaling, Lucas forced himself deeper into the shadows of the couch's deep cushions. "Dude's okay but he's not going to fix anything with me unless he gets Dan out of my life." It was hard for Lucas to admit that his drinking was causing problems but he wouldn't be drinking if Dan wasn't taking over his life.

Keith ran a hand through his hair in frustration. There were no good outcomes here, as everyone's intentions were such a vastly different end game. Dan wanted to do right by Karen and the baby, Lucas wanted Dan vanquished from his life, and Karen wanted a picture perfect family that never really existed. "I don't know what to say, Luke," Keith slowly began. "I've tried talking to both Karen and Dan. It's like there are no good answers."

Luke carefully evaluated Keith, not sure where his duty as an uncle or brother started or ended. "I told them that I wanted to move in with you."

To his credit, Keith only paused a second before replying. "You know we've always got a bedroom for you, Luke." It was one thing to let his nephew crash occasionally, but Keith knew that Karen would never let him live away from her.

Lucas scoffed at his uncle's intentions. "Dan said you didn't need any 'distractions' with the new baby coming." He was still upset at the idea of being a burden to his uncle. Keith had always been one of the few people Luke could trust. His eyes shifted toward the hardwood floors, realizing that he used to be able to trust his mother. Things were changing.

Keith stood up in anger and turned to face Luke, who was still staring resolutely at the floor. "Luke, you know that you could never be a distraction to me. Anna and I would be more than happy for you to live with us," he firmly stated, knowing that Anna would never turn away a kid in need. It was her nature to help people in trouble. "Dan has no right to infer that we don't want you."

Part of Lucas felt embarrassed at thinking so little of his uncle's loyalty. "But at the end of the day, you have no say where I live," he quietly asked. No one had to tell Luke that until he was 18 he had no rights at all.

Keith gave Luke what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "It will all work out, Luke. I know things seem so overwhelming right now, but things always tend to get better with time." In the mean time, Keith would make sure that Dan would never make Luke feel like an imposition in his life. That was one of the few things he could guarantee.

"You could give me 100 years and I'll still never live willingly with Dan," Luke stubbornly replied. He didn't know where he'd end up sleeping at night but he was absolutely sure it would never be under Dan Scott's roof.

* * *

Brooke smiled as Anna pointed out the intricate wall border that surrounded the nursery walls. It was refreshing to watch Keith and Anna prepare for their impending bundle of happiness. She'd never really been around anyone who wanted a baby and it was nice to see adults genuinely happy to expand their family. Besides, it was easier to smile and listen than to talk. Brooke was worn out after not sleeping for several nights and didn't have the energy to do more than listen.

Anna paused for a moment and blushed. "I'm rambling, aren't I?" she asked, knowing that she could go on for hours about anything baby related. Poor Brooke was standing there, smiling at her as she ran on about details no teenage girl could be interested in.

Brooke shrugged her shoulders at the older woman. "I'm a people person. It's in my nature to listen," she perkily replied. "I'm just happy that someone wants a baby enough to go through this all this effort."

"Babies should be happy experiences," Anna replied, noticing for the first time that the younger girl was a bit unsteady on her feet. She reached out to help the girl regain her balance. "Are you okay?" Anna asked, concern now clearly written on her face.

Brooke leaned up against the cherry colored crib for a moment, trying to remember the last time she'd actually eaten something. She smiled at Anna, who looked the picture of motherly concern. "I'm fine."

Anna attempted to cross her arms around her swollen belly before giving up. "When was the last time you ate?" she asked, unable to avoid looking at the girl's gaunt frame. The last time she'd seen Brooke at a basketball game, her cheerleading skirt had hung around her hips like a sheet on an unmade bed. Not waiting for an answer, Anna took Brooke's arm and escorted her down the stairs. Ignoring Keith and Lucas, who appeared lost in their own conversation in the living room, she steered Brooke into the large kitchen and placed her in a chair at the dining table.

She cut off Brooke's protests with a wave. "You're too thin, Brooke. I know it's fashionable to be skinny but you look unhealthy." Anna was surprised that no one had told the girl that she needed to gain weight.

Brooke watched as Anna pulled out some peanut butter and proceeded to make sandwiches for the two of them. She glanced over at the oven, seeing what was clearly their dinner. She wanted to feel guilty about making a seriously pregnant lady prepare two meals for her, but at the same time, she was lightheaded.

"Are you excited about the baby?" she asked, for lack of a better topic. It was obvious from the attention to detail that she'd put into the nursery that she was excited, but Brooke needed to steer the conversation away from her weight loss.

Anna screwed the lid back onto the peanut butter and looked over at her. "Terrified is a better word," she said. "Having a crack head for a mother tends to make you a bit uneasy about being a parent."

Brooke digested that information for a moment before smiling at the woman. Her mom might not be a crack head, but she was still a horrible parent. "I get what you mean. There are times I think that everything I know about families I learn from the Brady Brunch," Brooke confided.

Pulling out a chair, Anna handed Brooke a sandwich as she sat down next to her.

"Peanut Butter and carrots?" Brooke asked as she crinkled up her nose.

Anna smiled for a moment before answering. "Hey, I'm pregnant. I need all the nutrients I can get," she replied. "So who is making sure you get any nutrients?" she casually asked, knowing that Brooke was evading the eating issue.

Sighing, Brooke played with her sandwich. "I don't really have any parents, other than the adults who live with me and who pay for my expenses," she admitted, knowing that she could go missing for weeks before her parents realized she was gone. At this point, the only person who cared for her was her boyfriend.

"I know you've taken great care of Lucas for the past few months," Anna replied, "but who is taking care of you, Brooke?"

Brooke looked at her in confusion. "My parents are fabulously busy people and they don't have time to hang around and make sure I'm okay," she admitted. Or safe, she sadly thought.

Anna understood the pride and anger that lingered in the girl's soul. "I get it," she softly replied, gaining Brooke's attention. "My home life was a wreck. My mother was neglectful and abusive and should have never been allowed to breed," Anna clarified.

The silence in the room grew, as Brooke fiddled with a hangnail to avoid a response. "So what is your home like?" There was something compelling about Brooke that made Anna want to dig deeper. She knew from her own drama that something was wrong with the pretty girl in front of her.

"My house," Brooke mused for a moment, playing with the strange sandwich, as she tried to think of an apt description. "Cold, marble, …hard," she decided. There wasn't any other way to describe it. "It's like living as an exhibit in a museum. People walk through and stare at things and then walk out. We're all just objects placed around this lovely, marble house."

Anna considered her words as she also noted her lack of eating. Brooke played with food, moving it around the plate, tearing it in pieces, but rarely put food in her mouth. "You need to eat something, Brooke," Anna gently admonished. She needed to make sure that Lucas understood that he had to monitor Brooke's eating and to make sure that she actually ate something.

Brooke stared at the floor. "I'm trying," she admitted softly. "I just spend so much time worrying that my stomach hurts most of the time." It was hard to eat when she was terrified of being molested in her own home.

A thought suddenly flared up in Anna's memory. "Are you friends with Haley?" she asked, trying to maintain a casual level of inquiry.

The mention of Tutorgirl made Brooke smile. "Well, I think so," she uncertainly replied. "She didn't like me when I first started dating Luke, but we've been hanging out and I think she's my friend."

The uncertainty in her voice saddened Anna. She knew the power of teen age girls. She'd been alienated by many girls who were put off by the fact that she was a foster child. "Friends should stick by you no matter what, Brooke." Anna could only surmise that Haley's friend in trouble was none other than Brooke Davis.

Brooke shrugged her shoulders. "My best friend ditched me a few months ago because I told her something," she softly replied. She didn't like talking about Peyton and how her childhood friend had pretty much ignored her the past few months. "But that might have been because she also wanted Lucas and I got him," she coyly replied. There were few things Brooke was happier about than winning Luke's affections. He'd turned out to be way more loyal and kind than her best friend.

Anna thought about Brooke's words as she polished off her sandwich. "Life is too short for conditional friends, Brooke. What did you tell your friend that drove her away?" she asked out of curiosity and to see if she could get behind the drama that Haley had hinted about at the Café.

Brooke stared at the floor, unable to met Anna's eyes. All she needed was another woman in the Scott family who hated her and looked down at her for things she couldn't control. "It's nothing big. Peyton is just being bitchy and she's never been one to offer constructive advice," Brooke lied. She quickly stood up and put her half full plate next to the kitchen sink. "I need to go ask Keith to help me change my windshield wipers before it gets dark," she mumbled as she hastily left the kitchen.

Anna stared silently after her wondering what could be causing the fear she saw in Brooke's eyes.

* * *

Dan flipped through some paperwork for a moment before stopping and forcing his shoulder muscles to relax. The paperwork from his and Karen's businesses seemed to grow daily. He turned around in his chair at the kitchen table glanced over toward the sofa in the living room where Karen was trying to keep down some toast and tea.

He gave up on the paperwork and quietly walked into the living room and settled in the large armchair that he'd practically lived in for the past month. He learned forward toward the couch and gently squeezed Karen's hand. She'd had a bad day with extremely high blood pressure and had spent most of the day on the couch.

"Are you doing okay?" he softly asked, greatly concerned about her health. Toward the end, Deb had the same pale look and washed out complexion. Maybe Lucas was right. Maybe Dan did kill everything he tried to love.

Karen smiled over at him. "I'm fine. Just a bit tired." She felt like she'd been pregnant for years. She'd experienced some problems carrying Lucas but she'd been so much younger back then. Sixteen years made a big difference.

He moved to sit on the floor next to her. "It will help that you aren't working as much now," he firmly replied. They'd finally found someone to run the Cafe who was both experienced and friendly. "I think Yvonne is going to do a great job running things."

Karen nodded slowly, realizing that she couldn't take care of everything right now. The Cafe had always been her baby but now she had to take care of her family. The doctors were optimistic that she could carry the baby to near full term with bed rest and reduced stress levels. Now all she needed to do was reign in Lucas before he was arrested and sent off to juvenile hall.

Dan read the frown lines on her face. "He'll be okay, Kar. We just need to control the drinking and show him that living together can work," Dan firmly replied. He was forcing himself to keep a positive attitude because he'd throttle the boy otherwise. Dan could handle all of Luke's hatred but the boy's attitude toward Karen infuriated him.

A tentative knock at the front door interrupted that line of thought. Dan swiftly made his way to the door, surprised to find Nate standing on the front porch. To Dan's knowledge, his son had never stepped foot onto Karen's porch before. Nate followed him into the living room and placed a bag of food on the coffee table.

"Haley wanted to send some food over so you wouldn't have to cook," he awkwardly said, not used to being inside Karen's house. He'd been hanging around the Cafe when Haley asked him to do a food run.

Dan dug through the bag, thrilled at the idea of not having to cook. "It's kind of Haley to not force Karen to eat my cooking," he joked, realizing that his culinary skills were the joke of the family.

Nate laughed at the idea of feeding frozen lasagna to a sick woman. "How are you doing?" he tentatively asked Karen. Nate might not be happy with the impending marriage and insto-family but he knew the physical toll of being pregnant. Luke might be willing to be a brat toward Karen but Nate was a bit more mature than that.

Karen smiled up at him, grateful that he was being so nice about the situation. "I'm a bit tired, but fine," she replied. "Thank you for bringing the food over." Dan came back into the living room with plates and silverware.

"Are you going to join us, Nate?" he asked, wanting to include his son in something mundane. Nate stood there uncertainly for a moment, before consenting. "Sure, I guess that'd be okay."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Anna waited until Brooke got Keith under the hood of her car before pulling Lucas aside.

"We need to talk about Brooke," she said, pulling him over to her overstuffed couch.

Luke looked at her in confusion. "What about Brooke?" he asked, wondering why she waited until his girlfriend was outside to talk to him. He'd had enough people talking about Brooke behind her back for a lifetime and he didn't want to be angry at Anna for acting like Karen.

Anna slowly lowered herself onto the couch, taking care with her stomach. "I'm worried about her, Luke," Anna confided, not missing the suspicious tone in his voice. His mother had been so negative about his girlfriend that he was justified in that suspicion, she thought. "She's not eating enough."

He considered her words for a moment. "She's a girl. I've recently found out that they don't tend to eat a lot," he replied, having watched Brooke and her fellow cheerleaders graze for the semester. None of them particularly seemed to eat anything of substance, unless Diet Coke was now considered a food group.

Anna's eyes narrowed at his lack of concern. "Does Haley tend to graze?" she asked, knowing that Luke and Haley were very close friends at one point.

Luke's brow furled. "No, Haley eats more than I do," he admitted.

"Then it follows that not all girls diet," she said, pointing out the logic to him. "Brooke was so lightheaded earlier that she almost fainted," Anna said. "She basically admitted that she's not eating because she's stressed out."

Lucas leaned back into the couch, suddenly remembering all the times his girlfriend had been too lethargic to go out or when she left more food on her plate than she actually ate. "She's had a really bad year," he said, not wanting to spread her business around, especially since Anna apparently had not pried any information out of Brooke.

"What's going on at Brooke's home?" Anna inquired, realizing that everything kept coming back to Brooke's family. "Are her parents nice?"

Scoffing, Lucas turned to face his aunt. "Her mother's a stone cold bitch and her father ran off with a girl two years older than Brooke," he confided. At least Anna could understand the screwed up family aspect of things, he realized. "Her mom married this really possessive guy with a skeevy son."

Anna's eyes narrowed at that information. "Do you ever see any bruises on her?" she instantly asked, knowing that with a stepfather and stepbrother, abuse was a very real possibility.

He nervously avoided her eyes. "Her stepbrother goes to boarding school and he lives with his mother so she only sees him on holidays," Luke carefully replied. "Her stepfather always seems to be around though. Brooke doesn't like him very much. But I've never seen bruises on her."

She thought about what Luke WASN'T saying. "She doesn't feel safe in that house?" It was more a statement than a question.

"I think she'd rather be living somewhere else," he admitted. "But her father doesn't want her to move to Charleston with him and so she's stuck."

Anna was still concerned. The closest person to Brooke was concerned for her safety and something was making her physically ill. "You do know that if I suspect any abuse is taking place or that Brooke's needs are not being met, that I have a legal obligation to report it?" As a teacher, Anna was expected to report things like this.

Luke looked up in surprise, concerned if he'd said too much. "She's got all the money in the world, so I'm not sure if anyone cares if she's happy or not."

Hearing the front door open, Anna put an end to the discussion. "I want you to stay on her about eating. Insist she eat as much as possible," she softly replied. "And if you suspect someone is hurting her, I want you to tell me, Luke."

Lucas nodded solemnly at his aunt, unsure about what he should do. He knew Brooke's stepbrother was a threat, but he had no evidence that her parents were abusive. He knew Brooke was keeping secrets from him, but Luke didn't know if she'd ever tell him what was really going on.

He smiled as Brooke and Keith walked into the room. He just needed for her to trust him a bit more, he reasoned. She'd eventually tell him the complete truth once she felt safe enough. It was just a matter of time.

* * *

Thanks for reading and replying. I hope to get to the big Thanksgiving scenes before Thanksgiving actually comes, but that might be a bit too optimistic. Thanks to Stagediva who kept asking about this chapter. Have a great weekend!


	68. Chapter 68

Sorry about the lapse in posting. I passed my test!!!!!! Now I have two months to pass the second part of it. I'll keep trying to post chapters.

Happy holidays to everyone!

* * *

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 68

* * *

Dan stretched his long legs out, admiring the river from the restaurant's front window.

Fall was turning to winter and his life was changing faster than the trees that lined the water. He'd just left Dr. Andrew's office and was unusually relaxed. While the doctor wasn't surprised that Dan and Karen were getting married, he was a bit concerned how Lucas and Nathan would handle the impending changes in their lives. They'd worked on a plan for how to integrate Lucas into Dan's house and scheduled yet another family session for later in the week.

Seeing Nathan walk in, Dan motioned him over to the table, happy to see his youngest son. "It's good to see you," Dan started, feeling guilty that he'd not been home in two days.

Nathan shrugged out of his coat and slowly sat down. He'd gone over to Karen's house for a few dinners and things were less painful for him. He wasn't happy that she was invading his mother's house, but he could see that Dan was much happier when he was around her. Nathan wasn't comfortable about the circumstances, but his father was eventually going to move on with his own life. In a way, Nathan felt a bit freer, as if his father getting a life allowed him to live in the present and not the past. There was a freedom there that he'd never known and in a way, Nathan had made peace with Karen's role in his life.

"How's Karen?" he asked, looking up from the menu. Nathan was a bit concerned about her health. She looked…smaller than normal the last time he'd seen her. He vaguely remembered his own mother growing weaker as she grew pregnant. His memories were hazy at best. Dr. Andrews had suggested he ask his father about that time but it was hard for Nathan to bring up his mother's problems when his father had yet another high risk pregnancy to deal with. The doctor had encouraged Nathan to talk to his father about the past and his mom in particular.

"She's resting," Dan commented, noticing how distracted his son seemed. "Her last doctor's appointment was good, so we're optimistic that the baby will be okay," he said.

He felt uneasy talking about the baby with Nathan. The topic always seemed to mire them both in the past when it should be a happy event.

Nate nodded for lack of a better comment. They waited in uncomfortable silence for the waiter to take their orders. Dan watched a couple on the beach attempt to shake out the sand from their clothing. He motioned toward them. "Did I ever tell you that your mom had this intense hatred of sand?" Dr. Andrews had stressed to Dan that he needed to find a way to share things about Deb with his son.

Nathan's eyes lit up at that nugget of information. He leaned in closer to his father. "Why sand?" It seemed like a normal enough substance to Nathan.

Dan smiled at the joy on his son's face at hearing something about his mother. "She couldn't stand the idea of sand getting into her house. Deb always said it was impossible to get out of carpets," he revealed. "Once we bought the beach house, she'd spent hours sweeping sand off the porches and demanding that everyone shower after being on the beach." His eyes lit up at the memory of Deb shooing him back to their outdoor shower after a day on the beach with their son.

"She couldn't stand to be barefoot in public, either," Dan said. He watched Nate's face and realized that the doctor was right. The boy was hungry for any information about his mother.

Dan reached out and put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "She was a good woman, Nate," he confided to his son. "She loved us more than anything and I know she'd be proud of the man you are becoming."

Lowering his head, Nate surreptitiously rubbed his eyes, hoping to hide the effect his father's words had on him. After a moment, he lifted his head and smiled at his father. "Thanks. I really needed to talk about her," he softly admitted.

Dan nodded at his son, pleased that he'd been able to connect with his youngest son. He leaned back in his chair and sighed. Things were going to be okay. He just needed time.

* * *

Brooke leaned against the stairwell, waiting for Grace to return from the lawyer she sent her to. Growing tired, she meandered into the kitchen, which was a part of the house she seldom saw. Her mother had strict edits about staying out of the servant's way while they worked. Not that they had near the number of servants that the house had in the past. Brooke's grandmother had told her stories about growing up in the 1930's when the pool house was the servant's quarters and the house had many layers of domestic help.

Times had changed, Brooke thought. Katherine tended to view any outsider as an imposition so she only allowed the housekeeper to live on site. Years ago, Brooke's nanny had lived on the third floor with her until she had outgrown the need for both a nanny and parents. The house was so empty that she could practically hear her footsteps echo about the large kitchen.

Hearing a noise at the back door, Brooke walked over to great the older lady. "What did he say, Grace?" she asked softly, not wanting anyone to over hear her conversation.

Grace handed Brooke a manila envelope. "I had him write it all down so I wouldn't forget anything," she crisply replied. Brooke grabbed the envelope and immediately headed for the backstairs that led to her bedroom. Hearing a slight cough, she turned around and saw Grace standing there expectantly.

Brooke made her way over to the older lady and slapped two hundred dollars into her hand. "I can assume that no one will know anything about this?" she said, before moving up the stairs. Grace was one of the few people Brooke trusted in the house. She knew that if anyone could go to a lawyer and ask questions without getting strange looks, Grace was the person. Brooke knew that she needed her job too much to risk telling Brooke's secret.

She walked into her room, shutting the heavy double doors behind her. She made sure her security lock was engaged before ripping the envelope open. Sitting at her desk, she studied the papers in front of her intently. She had a lot of work to do.

* * *

Keith tossed the dishtowel on the counter and leaned back against the sink, enjoying the relative moment of silence. He surveyed his recently remodeled kitchen with the satisfaction of a man trapped too long in a generic rental unit. It had taken months for the house to evolve into his and Anna's dream, but things were shaping up nicely. Dan and Nathan had helped Keith strip the kitchen of its nasty vinyl flooring and install new cabinets. He'd been pleased to spend time with his family that didn't involve recriminations and angst. They were just three guys, gutting an old kitchen.

Sighing, Keith wished Lucas could have been part of it. He'd practically begged Lucas to help out, but the boy wouldn't budge when it came to spending time with Dan. He'd made up for it by helping Anna set up her laundry room. Brooke had even picked up a paintbrush and helped him with the nursery. The house was in great condition. Keith could only hope that his family could be rehabbed into the same.

"Keith!" Anna's voice drifted down the hall from the study where she kept her office. Sensing something wasn't right, Keith ran toward her office. He opened the door and found her doubled over on a chair.

"Are you okay?" he softly asked, brushing her hair away from her face. She took a deep breath and fought to calm herself down. "I think we're having a baby."

* * *

Lucas crept up the back stairs of Brooke's house, trying to avoid the squeaky parts of the old wood steps. He wasn't sure where her parents were, as they tended to slip in and out of town on a regular basis.

He used his key to unlock the security lock and pushed the double doors into Brooke's bedroom. She looked up at him from the small black desk in the corner of her room.

She tossed the papers she was reading on the desk and walked over and hugged her boyfriend.

Lucas nuzzled her head for a moment, taking in the floral scent of her hair, before motioning toward the papers. "What did you want to show me?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her small waist.

She reluctantly disengaged his embraced and picked up the papers from the lawyer. "This is the information Grace got from the lawyer today," she said, her voice trembling at her overwhelming disappointment about their situation.

He picked up the papers and quickly scanned the contents. "So is there any legal way for us to get away from our parents?" he asked, concerned that they'd both be trapped in their destructive homes.

"Well, apparently there are very specific criteria for legal emancipation in this state," she began, going over the information she'd committed to memory. "We can only get emancipated if we can prove that we can support ourselves and if our parents aren't providing the basic necessities for us." While Brooke thought their families were horrible, apparently there were standards for these kinds of things.

Luke stared at her for a moment. "What is their idea of support? I mean, as long as we're eating and have a place to live, that's support?" At this point, Luke was willing to live under a bridge if it meant getting away from Dan and Karen.

"Apparently, a judge decides if you have a good case for emancipation and if you have the ability to support yourself," Brooke explained. "And it's exceptionally rare for a judge to agree to emancipation."

He leaned against her desk in frustration. "What about if we got married? Would that get us emancipated?" He couldn't imagine being married at 16 but he loved Brooke and he wanted to protect her for the rest of his life, just as she would protect him from Karen and Dan.

She shook her head. "The only way we can get married under 18 is to have our parents' permission, unless you enlist in the army."

Lucas narrowed his eyes, wondering if joining the army was worth getting away from Dan. "But you have to have a parent's permission to enlist before 18," he said, seeing the endless loop they were in. They couldn't do anything to get them emancipated without their parent's permission and there was no way either set of parents were going to agree to any plan Luke and Brooke came up with.

She walked over and hugged him, taking comfort in his presence. "Apparently, even though there are criteria, a judge can make an exception at any time." The legalese was confusing to her, but Grace had done a good job of asking the right questions. While the odds weren't good for their case, a judge could override any existing law if he saw fit.

Lucas thought about her words for a moment, before pulling his flask out of his hoodie pocket. He drained it and started rummaging around her room for the booze Brooke tended to hide around the room. "I don't suppose you know any judges who might be sympathetic to our situation?" he hesitantly asked. If anyone in town were connected to the political scene, it would be Brooke's family.

She glanced at the bottle he held in disdain. "If we're going to pull this off, we need to be sober, Luke." She was going to have to clean all the bottles of illicit alcohol out of her room so he wouldn't be tempted in the future.

Lucas dropped the flask unceremoniously on her desk. "I'm not drunk, Brooke. I just needed to relax a bit," he firmly stated, not wanting to hear any more nagging about the alcohol. He could get that from his mother.

"I'm not criticizing you but I've got a plan that I want to focus on," she said, deflecting her concern about his drinking. She couldn't focus on getting them out of trouble if he was hell bent on drinking them back into it. "I've got a contact a few counties away, since everyone in Tree Hill knows my family. We just need to find an exemption to the rules."

He ran a finger gently over a dimple, taking delight in her wicked ways. "I have no doubt that if anyone can figure this out, you can." He loved how smart his girlfriend was. Few people gave her credit for being smart, but Lucas knew that under the dimples was a very smart girl.

She smiled brightly at him, happy that someone saw she had great potential. "You need to just play Dan and Karen until we figure something out." There was no need to cause problems while she searched for a way out of this hell. "And it's going to take a lot of money to get us where we need to go," she said, pulling a drawer open in her lingerie chest. Luke peered around her and saw several stacks of bills lying against the black velvet. It was the culmination of her monthly daddy check and her allowance that she'd been hoarding. You never knew when money might come in handy.

"That's a lot of cash," he slowly replied, knowing that kind of cash could support his meager household for a few months. But since Brooke's plan included legal types, it was a good thing that one of them had access to cash. "Hey, I'll start saving my check from Keith's in order to help out."

Brooke slowly shut the door and pulled him toward her bed. "We have to look at it as an investment in our future," she decided. "We'll eventually find a way to make a better life for us."

Lucas sighed and forced his tense back muscles to relax. He'd been getting horrible tension headaches lately, a fact that he blamed on Dan and Karen. "I can't move in with that man, Brooke. The idea of living with Dan Scott is something I'll never get used to."

She nodded at him, realizing that they were both in the same situation. "We'll find a solution before they get married and before they ship me off." She put as much confidence into that statement as she could muster. Brooke had been researching some ideas but some took a bit longer to blossom than others. They just had to be patience.

* * *

Thanks for taking the time to read and reply. I always appreciate what my readers are thinking and how badly they hate Karen. I'm thinking about posting the first story I ever wrote for OTH, if there's any interested in that, let me know!


	69. Chapter 69

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 69

* * *

Anna gazed lovingly down at the wiggly baby cocooned in her arms. After only six hours of labor, she and Keith were finally parents. She looked up at Keith, who was staring at both of them in awe.

He reached over and tucked her hair behind her ear. "He's amazing, Anna," Keith confided, his eyes roving over his tiny, red son. He was still in shock that he was not only married, but a father.

Anna leaned back against her pillow, trying to regain a bit of her strength. The fool who had pushed natural child birth had obviously never been in labor. She'd lasted only a short time before begging god and everyone around her for drugs. She opened her eyes and took in the precious bundle in her arms. It was all worth it. She'd spent most of her life alone and now she had a wonderful family.

A sound at the door of the hospital room drew their attention away from their newborn. Karen and Dan hesitated in the door way, not wanting to interrupt the intimate moment between the new family.

Smiling, Anna motioned the couple in. "I thought the doctor told you to stay on bed rest," Anna gently admonished Karen. "After all, this little one will need a playmate soon." She was worried about Karen. Perhaps her fear about Lucas and her unborn baby could explain her control freak ways, but the woman looked pale and tired.

Karen peered into the blanket and smiled at the beautiful baby for a moment before replying. "Dan is giving me a thirty minute outing before I have to go back home," she said, smiling at the baby in Anna's arms. Her blood pressure was a serious issue but she'd promised Dan that she'd take a peek at the baby and go straight home. It was reassuring for her to see a healthy baby. Her doctors were confident that she could carry the baby long enough that it would be healthy but it was still looking like a premature delivery.

Karen moved toward Keith, giving him a hug. "He's a beautiful boy," she commented, happy that Keith finally had the family he'd always wanted. Things might be radically different than she'd expected, but they were both happy now.

Anna watched as Dan and Keith discussed the finer points of labor. She didn't want to lecture anyone but Karen looked nearly as tired as Anna, without the benefit of a baby. She was spared finding a suitable conversation when Brooke and Lucas walked in the door.

"A BABY!" Brooke squealed, moving around the men and toward the bed. Leaning over, Brooke tentatively reached out to touch the baby before guiltily pulling her hand back. "May I?" she asked Anna, after noticing the disapproving look on Karen's face. It's not like Brooke was around babies every day.

"I didn't think they were letting children under 18 in the hospital due to the swine flu," Karen said to no one in particular. Keith had called them all to the hospital shortly after Anna had gone into labor. Karen didn't expect Brooke to be interested in seeing babies enough to disrupt her active social life.

Keith ignored the underlying bitchiness in Karen's tone. "I cleared it with the shift nurse. She's very fond of Brooke from her volunteering days and felt it would be okay for a few minutes," he explained. Karen looked at the ground, remembering that Brooke's access to hospital records had started the problems with Lucas.

Dan looked out in the hall, expecting to see Nathan and Haley. "Did your brother not want to see his cousin?" Dan asked Lucas.

Lucas rolled his eyes at Dan's tone. Why was it his responsibility to keep track of Nathan? "I don't know where he's at but Haley is at the Café. She said they'd drop by later." Dan was annoyed at Luke's sharp reply but at least the boy appeared sober for once. Small steps, he reminded himself.

Anna smiled at Brooke and motioned for her move her arms. "Brooke, how would you like to be the third person to hold our son?" she asked, pleased at the surprised look on the girl's pretty face.

"Really?" she asked, motioning Lucas over from where he stood as far away from Dan as the room would allow. "Lucas, come meet your cousin," Brooke excitedly said. Making sure that Brooke was ready, Anna gently moved her son into Brooke's arms.

Karen frowned at the sight of her son's girlfriend being handed a newborn infant. "Anna, I'm not sure you should let random people hold him at this point," she reminded her sister in law, knowing that the hospital disliked babies being passed around like a football so soon after birth. Brooke was likely to see a neat pair of shoes in the hallway and drop the baby, she reasoned.

Keith and Anna shared a look of displeasure for a moment. "I don't consider Brooke to be random, Karen," she gently rebuked. "Besides, I think Brooke should get used to holding him since she's going to be his godmother."

Looking up in surprise, Brooke's face lit up. "Seriously? You want me to be his godmother?" She'd never had anyone ask her to do something so important in her life. It was as if Anna trusted her with her son's life.

Karen sighed and moved over so Lucas could look at his new cousin. Luke peered over Brooke's shoulder and stared at the tiny pink bundle that was sleeping contentedly in his girlfriend's arms. "What are you going to name him?" Lucas curiously asked.

Moving over to where the kids stood, Keith watched in admiration as Brooke gently rocked his son back and forth. "We've decided to name him Caleb Lucas Scott."

Luke's eyes widened in surprise at the news. "Wow, I'm a namesake," he joked, still uncomfortable being in such a small space with his mom and Dan. Keith draped an affectionate arm around his nephew and pulled him close, wanting to make sure that Lucas didn't feel alienated by the baby. "And we want you to be his godfather."

Karen stopped frowning at Brooke for a moment and looked at Keith and Anna in disbelief. "Are you sure it's wise to pick teenagers for this important job?" she asked. "A godparent is responsible for caring for the baby in case something happens to the parents."

Anna resisted the urge to toss her future sister in law out of her hospital room. "Actually, Keith and I feel that a godparent is a person who can be a good influence on a baby and provide guidance when needed." Not to mention that it was her baby and she could pick anyone she damn well pleased.

Dan shifted from one foot to the other, trying to find a way to get Karen out of the room. "Karen, I think it's a great choice. After all, Lucas and Brooke have a lot more time and energy than people our age and since it's the parent's decision, it's none of your business," he softly replied. Dan knew that Karen wasn't trying to be a bitch, but her exhaustion was moving rapidly toward irritation. "I think Brooke will make a splendid godmother," Dan added, giving the petite girl a smile. Dan knew that his chances to be a part of Luke's life were next to none, but he'd always had a good relationship with Brooke. Karen might not realize that the only bridge they had back to their son was through Brooke.

"I've certainly bought him enough outfits," she replied. She didn't have a godparent, so she made a mental note to Google it when she got home. Brooke wanted to make sure that she did a good job since Anna trusted her with this responsibility. For the first time in a long time, Brooke felt good about an adult in her life. Unlike Karen, Anna liked her. Maybe she wasn't such a lost cause after all, Brooke reasoned.

Smiling at the girl, Anna knew she'd made the right decision. Brooke needed to feel that someone trusted her and needed her in their lives. Anna knew all too well what it was like to go through life without self worth and she'd be damned if Karen made the girl feel like trash on a regular basis. "Of course we'll expect a lot of free babysitting," Anna joked, watching Luke frown for a moment before realizing she was joking.

"If you show us what to do we might be able to help out," he vaguely offered, aware that his pregnant mother might want the same consideration. Hell would freeze over before he willing spent a minute with the Satan spawn.

Brooke reluctantly passed the baby back to Anna. "I think little Luke is hungry," Brooke said, wrinkling her nose as the baby's small mouth started making puckering sounds. Keith laughed at Brooke's all too realistic reaction. "Little Luke. He's not even a day old and he's already got a nickname."

Sensing that Anna needed to nurse, Dan picked up his coat and began herding Karen toward the door. "I guess we need to leave you alone so you can rest, Anna." He helped Karen on with her coat before giving his brother a hug.

"He's a fine looking boy, Keith," Dan said, knowing that his brother had waited a long time for this event. "He's got hands that were meant to hold a basketball." Keith laughed at Dan. "I'm sure Dad will say the same thing when they come up next week for Thanksgiving." Dan didn't know if he should be pleased that he finally had his entire family under one roof for a holiday or scared that Roy and Lucas would ruin the day for the entire family. Even if Luke refused to see it, he was so very much a Scott.

Anna looked up at those words and motioned toward Brooke, who was standing at the door waiting for Lucas. "We'll talk about the Christening before Thanksgiving Dinner," she said, wanting to make sure that Brooke knew she had a place to spend the holidays.

Hearing Anna's comment, Karen paused by her future sister in law. "I thought we were doing a family only dinner?" she asked. She and Anna were trying to plan the dinner so that neither of them was too exhausted to eat the meal. Dan's mother would be a great help, as would Haley, but Karen was surprised that Anna was inviting Brooke.

Anna looked at Karen sharply, noting that Luke was already growing defensive. "As far as I am concerned Brooke is my family, Karen," she stated firmly. No wonder Brooke was so apprehensive around Karen. The older woman was downright mean to the girl.

Lucas put a protective arm around Brooke's shoulders. "If she's not going, then I'm not going." Lucas didn't want to spend time with Dan and his obnoxious grandfather on a good day but if Brooke wasn't there, he didn't see a reason to even attend this stupid event.

Dan moved between Karen and Lucas, as if to stop the fight he knew was coming. It was bad form to upset a woman who had just given birth. "Karen, Brooke always spends holidays with Nate and me," he explained, doing his best to diffuse the tension between mother and son. "Brooke is family just like Haley is family."

Karen started to object but Dan shook his head. "I'm putting my foot down on this Karen." Brooke looked at Mr. Scott with respect, knowing that she'd just witness someone sticking up for her. Even Lucas had a look of surprise on his face at seeing some one put a verbal smack down on his mom.

Karen looked down at the floor for a moment, knowing that she wouldn't push this issue if it meant excluding Haley. She looked over at Brooke and smiled. "I guess we'll see you on Thursday."

Sensing the lack of warmth behind the words, Brooke put on her best cheer smile. "Thanks. I'll make sure to bring something for dessert," she added, knowing that her housekeeper Grace made a torte that put Karen's to shame. Looking back at Anna, her dimples deepened in genuine affection. "I'll stop by and see you and Little Luke tomorrow," she said, giving the blonde woman a wave before grabbing Luke's hand and stalking out of the room.

Anna forced herself to smile at Karen, despite the anger she felt inside. "You should probably get home and rest, Karen. I bet your blood pressure is sky high." Of course it wouldn't be so high if she wasn't so determined to hate Brooke. Pre-eclampsia was a serious condition, given Karen's previous pregnancy problems. Anna didn't want to see her go into premature labor because Karen didn't like seeing her son in a serious relationship.

Keith ushered Karen out into the hall, intent on finding a way to gently tell Karen to back off Luke and Brooke. Dan leaned over and kissed Anna on the cheek. "Thank you for making Keith so happy," he softly replied, knowing that his brother was lucky enough to have married a smart woman. "And thanks for looking out for Brooke. She's a great girl. I just hope some day Karen can learn to appreciate her."

* * *

Okay, so long time, no post. I'd like to pull a Dr. Johnny Fever here and ask if anyone is out there? I've not spent any time writing because I'm not sure people are still reading/interested. The fandom is dropping in many ways but if you'd like for me to finish the story, now's a fine time to let me know. Now that my test/certification process is over, I'd love to write faster and finish this darn thing up.

So, let me know how much you hate Karen....lol. And how sucky the name is. I went through 20 names before picking one and moving on. You're lucky I didn't name him Dominik, after my fave goalie.

Next up: Thanksgiving Scott Style. Karen sees something that gives her nightmares. Royal and Mae get to try to get Luke to stop calling them Mr and Mrs. Scott. And Brooke gets some very upsetting news.

Thanks for reading and replying. I always love to hear what you think about the story.


	70. Chapter 70

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 70

* * *

A disgruntled Lucas leaned against a column in the baggage claim area of the Tree Hill airport. The small airport was not a particular hot spot for travelers, but it was the particular people he was waiting for that annoyed him more than the average tourists.

Lucas could think of about thirty things he'd rather be doing on Thanksgiving Day, and picking up estranged grandparents at the airport was not one of them. His mother had insisted that he go with Dan, though. Luke's anger grew knowing that his mother was just trying to find ways to force Luke to spend time with Dan.

Dan glanced over at his son and tried to force some levity into the situation. "Come on, kid. It's not like anyone's asking you for a kidney," he joked, never really knowing what would push a sore point and set the boy off. Lucas seemed to relish his stance of resolute solitude. There were times when he could sense that the boy was pulled toward interaction but something always stopped him from fully participating in life. Dan was a person who dove into life and it saddened him that his son was cautious of both the waters and the other people around him.

Rolling his eyes, Lucas refused to take the bait. "There's always Christmas. I'm sure you'll find something just as vital to steal from me then," he retorted. It was bad enough that he was forced to spend a holiday with Dan, but being told he had to play chauffeur to his grandparents was adding insult to injury. "Why couldn't Nate be your manual labor for this trip?" he asked.

"Your brother is helping Karen and Haley get the house ready for our visitors," he replied, emphasizing the word "our". He didn't expect Luke to warm up to him any time before the second coming of Jesus, but he was slightly shocked that his boy hadn't been won over by his mom. His mom told him that she'd sent Luke a few emails over the past two months and she'd gotten a few tepid replies from the boy. Dan thought that was a start. He couldn't get so much as a grunt out of the boy when he was standing in front of him demanding to know why he was late for curfew.

May had a way with people. Dan was convinced that as much as Royal would alienate the boy, that he'd be charmed by May's goodness. His mother could love the pants off of any person she'd ever met. They just need Luke to let down his guard.

Dan's focus shifted to the escalator, where his father stood protectively in front of his mother. They quickly walked over to where Luke and Dan stood. "Danny," May crooned, enveloping her baby boy in a big hug. She stepped back and admired him for a moment. "Love is treating you well, son," she said, appraising him with a mother's critical eye. Luke about threw up at the idea that his mom's love for Dan was a positive thing.

The older woman then turned her attention to the sullen boy behind her son. "Lucas, how kind of you to meet us," she said. Her grandson looked too thin for her taste and May wondered if Karen was feeding her boy enough meals.

"Mr. and Mrs. Scott," Lucas distantly greeted them. It was obvious that the boy didn't want to be there. May thought about giving him a hug but when she moved toward him, he side stepped her as politely as he could. Even under good circumstances, Lucas wasn't into displays of public affection.

Ignoring Roy's tense reaction, she stood her ground with the boy. "You don't need to call us by our formal names," she cajoled, using her best grandmotherly voice. "Nathan calls us Grandma and Grandpa."

Lucas stared at the woman for a moment, wondering what reply would generate the smallest grounding. "That's because Nathan actually knows you people," Lucas bitterly commented. "I'm sorry that I can't call you terms of affection when I've never spent more than an hour with you. I'm only here because he forced me to be here."

Dan shook his head at the boy's tone. "Yes, I hog tied him and forced him to walk up hill both ways barefoot in the snow," Dan explained to his parents.

Roy took in the boy's outburst before replying. "You should be grateful that you've got parents that care about you rather than whining about being with family," he firmly stated, fully aware that he was pissing Lucas off.

"I think I'll take being the abandoned bastard on the bad side of town," Luke muttered, knowing that he'd hit the mark when Dan winced at his harsh words. It gave him a bit of satisfaction that Dan was as miserable as he was.

May moved between Roy and Lucas, sensing that her husband was about to put his grandson in his place. She'd seen the look on her husband's face during similar battles with Keith. Roy felt a bond with Dan that he'd never shared with his oldest son. He was much harder on Keith than he'd ever been on Danny and the same tension seemed to be playing out with Lucas. "I think we all need to get home and help Karen and Anna with dinner," she stated, knowing that they'd already put on a show for the few travelers in the small airport.

Roy escorted May to Dan's waiting SUV, while a desolate Lucas helped Dan with their luggage. Dan, despite his anger at the boy's earlier outburst, tried to elevate the mood. "At least you're getting to spend the day with Brooke," he reminded his son, wanting Lucas to appreciate the fact that Dan had been primarily responsible for that.

Lucas shoved a bag in the back of the vehicle. "You're a real prince, Dan. You make my life miserable and you expect me to be grateful that you trumped my mom with Brooke."

If it weren't for Dan knocking his mother up, he'd be free to spend the holiday with whomever he wanted.

Dan sighed and shook his head at the boy. "You can decide to be miserable or you can chose to be happy, Luke. It's your decision," he softly replied before moving toward the front of the car. He'd done the best he could to promote peace for the holiday and he'd failed. All he could do was try to make sure that Luke's toxic attitude didn't affect Karen.

* * *

Nathan leaned against the doorway and watched the flurry of activity in the kitchen and wished for a moment that he'd volunteered for grandparent duty instead of staying at the house with the women. It was weird for him as he watched Karen move around his mother's kitchen. She looked like a natural in the gourmet kitchen and part of his heart constricted at the idea that she was moving into his life and taking over one of the last parts of his mother that he had. By the end of the year, Karen would be taking over his mother's house, which depressed Nathan.

Karen leaned against the counter, content that the bulk of the work was finished. Yvonne, the new chef at the Café had prepared a turkey and Anna and Haley had finished the rest of the side dishes. There was very little for her to do now, which was probably the goal.

Anna watched as Karen leaned against the counter, reading the exhaustion in her body language. "Karen, why don't you go lie down while we finish up the little things," she suggested, knowing that the woman was stubborn to the bone. Dan had asked her to keep on eye on his fiance while he was out, as he knew that Karen naturally gravitated toward the kitchen.

Her future sister in law looked over at her and smiled. "You aren't supposed to be doing too much, either," she reminded Anna, who was only a week removed from child birth. The happy gurgles of the baby could be heard from the den, where his father was teaching him the finer points of football.

They all turned toward the door as Brooke rushed through it, carrying a festively decorated tray of desserts. "Hello, all," she greeted the group, searching for a place to set down her contribution for dinner. She paused a second, as the group soaked in her outfit de jour. "Are the boots too much?" she asked, running a nervous hand over the black lizard print thigh boots she wore.

Haley took in the assorted mix of Ann Taylor and blue jeans the group wore. "I think they are entirely festive for the occasion," she firmly stated, knowing that Brooke did most of her shopping in big cities that most of the people in the room had never seen.

Nathan rolled his eyes at his girlfriend's lame attempt to make Brooke feel more comfortable. "Entirely fitting if the pilgrims were invaded by marauding pirates," he snarked.

Smiling, Brooke gave Nate's shoulder a quick squeeze. "Thanks, Nate. That's exactly the effect I was going for," she commented, glad that someone could appreciate her attempts to push Tree Hill's fashion forward.

Anna moved passed a tense Karen and hugged the vivacious girl. "It's sweet that you offered to do all the desserts for dinner," she replied, choosing to emphasis Brooke's efforts when she knew Karen would find some thing negative in her attempts.

Brooke smiled at Anna's warmth, knowing that she was making a preemptive strike against Karen's inevitable nitpicking. "Thanks. Our cook trained in a France for a few years, so it's fairly certain that you won't get food poisoning, which is more than I can say for my cooking," she joked, knowing that her culinary skills were limited to brownies and pop tarts.

Haley wrapped an arm around Brooke's too tiny waist. "You just need to eat more of Grace's cooking so you can gain some weight," Haley gently admonished, convinced that Brooke was going to blow away in a light breeze.

Picking up on Haley's comment, Anna smiled at the younger girl. "I'm sure Brooke is going to focus on eating a calorie laden feast today so she can regain some of her weight," Anna lightly replied. Brooke looked down a second before meeting Anna's eyes.

"I'll do my best," she softly replied, knowing that Anna wasn't going to give up even on a day that was likely to be traumatic. Crazy Karen with Grandpa Scott was not the optimum time to pig out.

Keith headed into the kitchen with baby Caleb in his arms. "I thought I heard your voice," he said to Brooke, walking over to kiss her gently on the check.

"Little Luke!" Brooke squealed, sidestepping Karen and making a beeline toward the baby. She plucked him out of Keith's arms and promptly snuggled him to her chest.

Karen quietly observed the image of Brooke and the baby with growing unease. She had expected the girl to buy some gifts for Caleb and promptly forget about him, or worse, be grossed out by the spit up and dirty diapers. But to see the girl actually cuddle the baby and hum happy tunes to him freaked Karen out. All she needed was for Brooke to decide that she could find love by getting pregnant and having her own baby.

Ignoring the growing tension in the room, Brooke focused on how totally calm the boy was, completely unphased by all the noise and chaos of the holidays. A wide smile revealed her dimples. "He's wearing my Baby Dior outfit," she happily commented to Anna, pleased to see one of her many baby gifts going to good use.

Karen rolled her eyes at Brooke's histrionics. "Spending money on designer baby clothes is just throwing your money away," she pointed informed Brooke. "Babies grow so fast he'll be too big for that next week."

The others in the room winced at Karen's tone but Brooke just smiled at the older woman. "Then it's a good thing I have lots of money to waste," she calmly replied, as she rubbed her check against the baby's downy soft hair.

She refused to get caught up in Karen's wrath on a holiday. Every family event she'd experienced as a child was marred by her parent's constant bickering. Even though Karen's attacks seemed to be getting worse, Brooke refused to spoil the day for everyone else. As she was holding Little Luke, she was sure negative energy would affect his holiday.

They were spared further conversation as Dan and Lucas walked in from the garage, lugging two suitcases behind them. "We survived," Dan solemnly informed the group, moving so that his parents could get out of the cold garage. The drive home had been torturous, with his mother trying to force conversation with Lucas and his father criticizing Luke for his lackluster responses.

May walked in, scanned the room and headed straight for Brooke, who still held Caleb. "Is that my new grandson?" she asked, carefully taking the baby from Brooke's protective arms.

"Well, he's certainly not mine," Brooke replied, laughing as Caleb's chubby little arm reached back for her. She grabbed his little hand and made cooing sounds at him as his grandparents admired him for the first time. Keith wrapped his arms around Anna as the both gazed at their son straining to get back to his godmother. It was like the baby subconsciously gravitated to Brooke.

"He's beautiful, Keith," May told her oldest son, pleased to see how happy her oldest was with his new family. "And he's got those famous Scott blue eyes. Just like Lucas." Her words meant to draw attention to the similarities between her aloof grandson and the rest of his gene pool. Luke's shoulders tensed up at her words and he unconsciously hedged away from the group.

Roy, Dan, and Nathan stood at the edge of the kitchen and watched the cacophony of noise that emanated from the group. "Is Brooke the slutty girlfriend that Karen talked about?" Roy asked Nathan and Dan.

Nathan glanced over at Karen, trying to mask the anger he felt. "Did she say that?" he demanded. "You'd be pray that Lucas didn't over hear you say that. He'd punch your lights out and I can't say that I'd blame him." Nathan could handle some of Karen's attitude toward Brooke, but calling her a slut was unacceptable.

Trying to placate his grandson, Roy put his hand on Nate's shoulder. "I'm just surprised that Karen has such a low opinion of Brooke. She's a good girl, if somewhat wild," Roy replied. Brooke had been a fixture at the Scott house for years and Roy was fond of her.

"Karen feels that Brooke is tempting Lucas to the dark side with her feminine ways," Dan quietly said, not wanting to start another fight when dinner was in reached. "She's just upset that he's not listening to her any more."

Roy rolled his eyes at Dan's word. "Please. If anything, it's lack of an authority figure in the boy's life that's causing the problems," Roy said, raising his eyebrows in Dan's general direction. "You need to lower the boom on the boy and snap him back into line."

Dan pointedly ignored most of what his father said. It was easier that way. "Let's just go eat and try not to kill each other before the pumpkin pie." He herded his father to the table, praying that no one came to blows. Lucas was spoiling for a fight and Karen desperately needed to avoid anything that could negatively impact her blood pressure.

* * *

Dan and Keith passed around plates of desserts, both grateful that dinner had been mostly uneventful. Other than Luke's taciturn disposition and Brooke's overly chatty nature, things were fairly normal for a Scott family get together.

"All finished," Brooke said, as she and Anna reappeared from the den. She carried Caleb close to her chest, relishing the warmth of his tiny body. Anna reluctantly took the baby from her and sat down with Keith. "Brooke just changed her first diaper with great flair," she announced to the group. Anna was secretly thrilled that Brooke had turned out to have such a strong maternal instinct.

"Better you than me," Nathan replied, wrinkle his nose in distaste. He hoped that his dad realized that he was not playing nursemaid when the baby came. Haley laughed at his reaction, herself a veteran of changing many messy diapers from her nieces and nephews.

"I can't wait to have a horde of babies," Brooke happily replied. "I'm going to be a stay at home mom who spends all day mired in crayons and paste." She'd never really considered being a mom for a career but now that she'd found love with Lucas, it was easier to envision a happy family life in the future.

Haley saw the look of sheer panic in Karen's eyes. "She means after we graduate college and are old and wrinkly," Haley explained, drawing the attention of the rest of the family. Brooke laughed at Haley and Karen. "Not now," she affirmed. "That would put a serious crimp in cheerleading."

Lucas played around with his pecan pie, wishing that this night would end. It wasn't so much the tension between him and Karen that was driving him insane as the noise of so many people in one room. Most of his family holidays consisted himself and his mom, with Keith and Haley thrown in on occasion. Lucas had no experience with multigenerational families and the addition of so many different people was slightly freaking him out.

Keith felt like kicking Karen under the table. He could feel her blood pressure going up from across the room. When Anna had first suggested that Karen was out to get the girl, he thought she was being a bit melodramatic. But lately, he'd noticed the snide little comments that Karen would make around her. It was completely out of character for her to be so harsh to another human being. Keith understood that Karen was reacting badly to Luke's rebellion but he also saw that Brooke was taking the brunt of her exhaustion and frustration with her son.

May reached over to take Caleb from Anna so she could finish eating. "I think all babies born to happy couples are a wonderful addition to the family," she declared. She wanted to say married couples, but that would have alienated Lucas. She was old fashioned enough to know marriage helped families survive. She was thrilled that Dan and Karen were doing the right thing and getting married. Of course, it was 16 years too late, in her humble opinion, but that just showed that everything that was meant to be eventually happened.

Roy leaned over and took a good look at the baby. He wasn't very good with children. He'd left most of the child rearing to May over the years. "It's good that we are getting a new generation of Scotts," Roy beamed, proud to be the patriarch of such a fine family. He glanced over and saw Lucas roll his eyes at his grandfather's words. "And you, young man, need to learn some respect for your elders."

Tossing his pie aside, Lucas turned to face the older man. "Maybe it's hard to appreciate something you've had," he retorted. He'd fought all day to remain silence, least he get grounded yet again. But Roy seemed intent to force Luke to submit to his so called authority.

Sighing, Karen shot Roy a look before turning to her son. "Lucas, it's not your grandfather's fault about the past. You need to try to be more polite around your family."

Sensing that Lucas was at the end of his rope, Dan quickly sought to end any argument before it began. "Brooke, I saw your stepfather this morning. I guess your family canceled their trip?" he asked. As long as he'd known Brooke's mother, she'd always found a reason to leave the state for a few weeks each month. Holidays were another excuse for her to travel, so Dan was shocked to see her new husband and stepson in town.

Startled, Brooke dropped her fork, desert forgotten. "I didn't know they were in town," she shakily replied. Anna looked over at her, concerned at the sudden change she saw in Brooke's face.

"I saw them on the golf course early this morning. They were playing the round in front of me," Dan explained. "They told me they'd be in town for a few days waiting for your mother to return to town."

Brooke took a steadying breath, focusing on not passing out. Anna, worried about her ashen completion, move over next to the girl. "Brooke does this mean that something is wrong?" she asked, suddenly realizing that Lucas, Nathan and Haley all seemed upset as well. Anna started putting what few pieces of the puzzle she had together. Brooke and her friends were concerned that her step-father was in town. He planned on being home while her mother was out of town. That didn't bode well if he was abusing her, Anna thought.

Lucas moved next to Brooke, holding her hand and murmuring soothing words in her ear, conscious of the people around them. He wasn't sure why J.J. was back in town. After the last smack down he'd received from Luke and Nate, they didn't think he'd go anywhere near Brooke again.

Roy took in the mild chaos around him. "What's any of this got to do with us? It's her family not ours," he said to no one particular around him. Dan was alarmed at the change in the kids' mood. They all seemed overly concerned about Brooke, when minutes before they'd been eating and relaxing.

Brooke shakily stood up. "I need to run to the powder room for a moment," she calmly replied, taking advantage of the space the others gave her. Most men didn't like to bother a lady in the bath room. Making sure that no one in the room followed her, she grabbed her purse and keys and slipped out the front door. All she needed to protect her was the gun she kept in her bedroom.

* * *

Okay, first, I apologize for getting so many awesome replies last time and not posting sooner. I really appreciate the feedback and it really makes me want to finish the story. Second, I passed my big certification test, so all is right with the world, except my job, LOL. But that's easily remedied. It took me a week to post this because I'm not happy with it. I think you can lose your ability to write, or more like fall out of shape with writing. Nothing seemed right with the story, but what can you do? The next chapter should be fairly gutwrenching and hopefully, it will make many of you happy. There are a lot of little things I put in chapters that make sense in later chapters. Or maybe I'm the only one who notices stuff like that. But there was a purpose for this chapter in my mind. Thanks for reading and replying and to Stagediva, whose pm's and reviews make me want to be faster with my with my writing.


	71. Chapter 71

Warning: This chapter contains a bad word and some adult situations. Sensitive souls should probably not be reading this story or should skip this chapter.

Sorry about the delay. I've had massive writer's block due to the nature of the story and wanting to do Brooke justice. The good news is that trying to avoid writing this part resulted in the next few chapters being written, so the delay for the next chapter shouldn't be anywhere near as long.

* * *

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 71

~~ _The key to my survival _

_was never in much doubt_

_the question was how I could keep sane_

_trying to find my way out_

Haley impatiently listened to the conversation around her, mentally wondering what was taking Brooke so long. She'd abruptly left the table ten minutes earlier, heading in the general direction of the bathroom. Haley wasn't one for girlie moments, but she wasn't sure if her friend's long absence meant she was supposed to join her in the bath room for girl talk.

Looking over at Lucas, she noticed that he was staring at the doorway to the hallway through which his girlfriend had disappeared. Their eyes met and he realized that he wasn't the only one concerned with how long Brooke had been gone.

Taking advantage of the adults' distraction with the baby, Nate pushed away from the table and motioned the others out into the house's massive entry way. "Something's wrong," he decided, noticing that the door to the bathroom was open and the room was empty.

Luke's heart constricted, knowing that he was missing something big. "I know she's upset about the creepy duo being in town, but why would she leave?" Brooke had been so focused on getting them away from his parents that she'd barely mentioned her family in the past few weeks. He thought talking about the situation with her stepbrother bothered her, but now he realized that maybe he should have pushed her harder to make her talk about it.

Nathan leaned up against the wall, lost in thought. "Maybe she went to confront them about something," he suggested. Nate had known Brooke a long time but the fear in her eyes set off a warning bell. "I thought we reassured her after we beat J.J. senseless." The way she'd run out of the room was nearly… feral.

"I don't think its J.J. we have to worry about," Haley said, shifting uncomfortably at the curiosity her remark drew. She weighed the situation carefully, wanting to protect Brooke's secret but knowing that this situation seemed to be slipping out of her control. She didn't like the idea of Brooke being around her lecherous stepfather, but the idea of her alone in the same house with both men scared her to death.

Lucas walked over to his friend. "Hales, what do you know that we don't?" he asked, growing more concerned with each passing moment.

Haley took a deep breath and realized that she had to tell them. "I think she went to her house for protection from them," she softly said. Haley forced herself to breathe and not focus on the gun she saw in Brooke's nightstand a few weeks ago. They'd been getting ready to go out and while Brooke was in the bathroom, Haley had gone searching for a nail file in Brooke's drawer. She hadn't said anything because she didn't know what to say. Obviously, Brooke had gotten a gun illegally. Now, she wasn't so sure that she'd done the right thing. Haley should have told Anna and asked her what to do.

Brooke wasn't exactly the go to person for protecting herself. She got confused during fire drills and stop drop and roll exercises. Nathan stared at his girlfriend's demeanor for a moment before replying, "What's she going to do, throw Manolos at them?"

"I think she's going to get her gun."

* * *

Brooke drove through the darken streets of Tree Hill, ignoring the festively decorated homes as she focused on her goal. She had to get her gun. If she had her gun, no one could hurt her again. She felt guilty for not telling Lucas or thanking Anna and Dan for a lovely dinner. She could always grab her gun and go back, but she didn't want to bring a gun any where near Little Luke. It wasn't safe to have a gun around kids unless it was locked up.

She'd been researching guns on the internet. Brooke just wished she'd had more time to practice with it. Two weeks earlier she'd driven out to a rural piece of land her family owned and actually fired it at a tree. Her nose wrinkled up in disdain. She didn't like the sound the gun made or the smell it left on her hands. Brooke was really hoping that she and Lucas could get away before things got to this point, but she was tired of running. She was tired of being a victim. It was time she stood up for herself and made these creeps leave her alone.

She looked up and realized she was turning into her driveway. Thank god she lived so close to Nate because she had driven on auto pilot, completely unaware of anything but getting her hands on that gun.

Pushing the door to her house open, she tossed her purse on the Louis XVI console table and moved toward the stairs, when a voice stopped her cold in her tracks. "Brookie's home!" J.J. said, as he sauntered out of the formal salon. He looked her up and down like she was the main course at an all you can eat buffet. "And I thought the holiday would be over before you came back home."

She swallowed nervously, stuffing down the panic that was threatening to over take her.

Brooke forced herself to remain calm as J.J. stalked around her, openly admiring her. "Go to hell," she hissed, before spinning out of his reach and sprinting up the stairs.

* * *

Dessert plates lay forgotten as the adults casually chatted. Anna stared at the door, wondering where the kids disappeared to. She hoped that Brooke was okay and taking solace in being surrounded by her friends. Anna was concerned that mention of Brooke's family could provoke such a powerful reaction out of the girl. A noise at the door way gained the adult's attention.

Nate reached into the dining room and grabbed his wallet and car keys off the side table.

Dan looked over at his son in confusion. "I thought we were going to take some family pictures after dinner, Nate," Dan reminded him.

"We can't stay. Brooke's gone and we need to go help her," he insisted, motioning toward Lucas and Haley. Lucas stood in the doorway, acutely aware of all the adults staring at him as if he had some clue about what was going on.

He nodded toward Nate, who was the only one of the three with a car. "I'll be outside. If you aren't there in two minutes, I'm walking," he grimly announced, taking off for the door before his mother could raise an objection.

Nathan turned back to the expectant adults and shrugged. "We need to go find Brooke," he said. Karen exhaled sharply. "It seems like Brooke always disrupts everything," she said to no one in particular.

Anna stared at the woman, biting back the negative thoughts that crossed her mind. She was shocked when the only person who replied was Haley.

Haley stared at Karen in disgust. "She's just trying to survive, Karen. Maybe if you'd tried to have a conversation with her, you'd realize that." Haley didn't bother to wait for a response from her long time friend. She grabbed Nate's arm and pulled him out of the room behind her.

The adults stared after the kids in stunned silence. Haley wasn't one to shoot her mouth off around adults, especially around someone she respected as much as Karen.

"Well," Karen finally uttered, "I don't know what's gotten into Haley."

Dan and Keith shifted uneasily in their chairs, avoiding any confrontation with Karen since she was still in precarious health. Anna, however, had no qualms about correcting her behavior. "I think the better question is what's wrong with you, Karen?"

* * *

Brooke ran down the hallway, the echo of her heels making an eerie sound in the massive, empty space. She could hear the footsteps of her step-brother on the stairs behind her even as she ran into her room.

"Brookie," he yelled, catching the door before she had a chance to slam it shut and bolt it.

The fear she felt was tempered by the proximity she had to the nightstand that had her gun.

She took a few steps backward, hoping he saw fear rather than strategic movement.

Moving in, J.J. reached out for her, not seeing the disgust written on her face. Or perhaps he just didn't care what reaction he got. "You aren't running away from me, baby," J.J. awkwardly crooned at her.

Twisting away in disgust, she felt the material on her shoulder rip as he spun her back around. He grabbed her jaw in his large hand and wretched her face toward his. "I hate it when girls flirt but don't put out, Brookie," he sinisterly replied, his words so low she could barely hear them as they floated by her ear. His breath was hot on her ear and she felt the urge to wipe away his germs.

"I'm not flirting with you because I find you disgusting," she spat out at him, growing terrified at how aggressive he seemed. Of course, he was just as aggressive on the night he raped her but it had been wrapped up in a prettier package, complete with Champagne and seduction.

J.J. slowly ran a finger up her arm. "You didn't find me so disgusting the night our parents got married," he softly whispered in her ear. Brooke pulled her head to the side as she drove her elbow into his side.

"Fuck," he growled, staring at her as she made her way across the room. "You know I love a good fight, Brookie. It gets my adrenaline pumping," J.J. said, sizing up how fast he could get her on the bed.

Brooke could feel her heart constricting in her chest, making it hard for her to get oxygen in her lungs. She fought the panic that was spreading through her body. She had to stay in control until she could reach her gun. "I don't think you like a good fight. I think you like to get girls drunk and rape them," she said, her voice strong with accusation.

He stopped his advance for a moment and considered her words. "I've never had any complaints before," he replied. "Occasionally, some bitch will whine but most of you seem to enjoy it rough." She had been moving across the room, staying out of his reach, but slowly, systematically making her way toward the gun.

His words made her freeze. "You did that to other girls?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. Brooke's heart tightened as she realized that by not reporting J.J. to the police might have led to other girls being raped. Brooke turned away from the creep in front of her, desperate to distract his attention away from her bedside table.

The older boy shrugged his shoulders at her words. Hearing footsteps in the hall, he saw his father walk into the room, assessing the scene. Brooke took advantage of his distracted state and grabbed the gun out of her table and slid it in her pocket as they turned to face her.

"It looks like you two are having fun," Trey leered, taking in the torn shoulder of Brooke's shirt. He always loved going two on one when the opportunity presented itself. He smiled proudly at his boy, who was always one to move in whenever he found fresh meat.

Trey walked closer to Brooke, taking in her disheveled appearance and torn clothing. "I think you started the fun without me, Son," he said, causing Brooke's stomach to clench in fear.

Moving closer to where she stood, J.J. shrugged his shoulders. "It's all good fun," he said, taking advantage of her distracted state. He reached out to touch her shoulder when she suddenly spun around and pointed a gun at his chest.

"Don't touch me."

* * *

Nate drove as fast as he could, without drawing unwanted attention. The atmosphere in the car was tense, each person lost in their own thoughts. Luke finally broke the silence and turned toward the back seat.

"I can't believe you," he caustically said. "My girlfriend tries to buy a gun from a pawn shop and you don't think it merits mention?"

Haley shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I told her she was crazy and that we needed to leave. I dragged her out of the store and asked her what was so bad that she felt she needed a gun to protect herself," Haley explained, not very happy with how she'd handled this situation.

Luke wrinkled his forehead in confusion. "She was worried about J.J. trying to attack her again. That's why she needed a gun," he said.

Nathan looked at Haley in the rear view mirror, a sudden sinking feeling in his stomach. "Except that J.J. was away at school and Brooke knew he'd not be at her home with any frequency," Nathan surmised. "However, her step-father is around all the time."

Feeling his stomach drop, Lucas turned to face Nathan. "That's sick. Why would a grown man be interested in a girl?" Lucas couldn't understand what was going on. He and Brooke talked about everything. He knew her better than he knew himself. It was impossible that she was being abused by her step-father and she didn't tell him.

Haley leaned forward and gently touched Luke's shoulder. "It's not about interest, Luke. He's just a sick man with a sick son. With Trey, it's about control."

Luke turned to look at his friend, deeply concerned about his girlfriend. "What's going on Haley? You seem to know way more about this than you are telling."

She glanced down at the floor of the car for a moment, before meeting Luke's eyes. "A few months ago I saw him grab Brooke when she went into his office for her allowance. And it wasn't in a fatherly fashion."

Nathan pulled into Brooke's driveway and turned off the engine. "I think we need to get Brooke out of there," he said, before opening the door and sprinting to the front door.

* * *

Brooke held the gun out in front of her, pointed steadily at the two men in front of her. The absolute calm in her manner hide the fear that was crawling up her spine. She could barely breathe from the fear that was threatening to envelope her.

"I want you both to get out of my room," she calmly said, the gun trained on both of them.

Trey stared at the gun for a moment before looking at J.J. The two broke out in laughter at the small girl holding the gun on them. Trey smiled at her. "While I'm sure that hood of a boyfriend gave you a gun, I'm fairly sure he didn't teach you to shoot it," he confidently replied.

Brooke considered his words for a moment and fired the gun.

* * *

Good? Bad? Worth waiting for? Meh? More importantly, who do you think Brooke shot? Thanks for your patience with this story. I'll be out of the country in a few weeks but if properly motivated, I'll try to get another chapter up (travel plans permitting). Thanks for reading and for hopefully replying.

Cyn


	72. Chapter 72

Chapter 72

* * *

Anna turned toward Karen, ignoring the silent pleas that Dan and Keith were both sending her way. "I think the question is what the hell is wrong with you, Karen."

Dan moved between the two women, who were clearly in the mood to face off. "Kar, I think you need to go upstairs and take your blood pressure medicine and then take a nap," he lightly suggested, knowing that her health was still so precarious. He'd already lost a wife and baby to a dangerous pregnancy and Dan was determined to see Karen safely through this one.

Karen turned away from Dan. "I don't need to rest, but I do need Anna to say what's on her mind." She'd noticed the nasty looks her future sister in law had been giving her all night.

Keith picked up Caleb, who was getting fussy. "Anna's upset at your treatment of Brooke," he finally said, surprising most of the people in the room. Keith was a peace maker and didn't tend to stir up trouble.

The adults in room shifted uneasily as time grew on. Roy stared at all the empty seats and frowned. "Kid's these days have no manners," he huffed, while looking at the adults in the room. "They need some discipline."

Dan shifted uneasily, realizing that something was very wrong with all of the children and his father's judgmental pattering was not helping. "What they need is some support from the adults in their lives," Anna interjected.

Karen shifted uneasily, her growing stomach a constant concern for her. "Things were going well until Brooke decided to turn this into a circus with her family issues."

Anna turned to look at her future sister in law sharply. "If you'd ever bothered to talk to Brooke, you'd realize she's just trying to get through a difficult life," Anna informed her.

"What difficulties in her life as a rich man's daughter?" Karen crassly asked. "And I'll remind you that that Brooke is not a saint. She's exposed Luke to drinking and parties and we can all see the result it's had on my son."

"Your son is making bad decisions because he's a confused teenage boy with a screwed up family life," Anna tersely replied. "No one is saying that Brooke is a saint. But all you need to do is to say something nice to Brooke and she lights up like a Christmas tree," Anna explained. "You can tell that no one ever says anything nice to her. All she needs is one small, kind word from you, Karen."

Karen shrugged her shoulders at the other woman. "It's not my job to build up her confidence with fake words."

Anna frowned at Karen's coldness, knowing the woman couldn't be that cold hearted. "No because that would be her mother's job and we wouldn't want to compare you to that bitch," Anna replied.

Karen's eyes shifted at those words. "Don't ever compare me to that bitch again." She hated Katherine with every fiber of her being.

Anna smiled. "Congratulations, Karen. You treat the girl the same as her mother. You find every flaw both real and imaged just so you can tear the girl down and make her feel bad. You spend all of your time telling everyone that Brooke is to blame to for all of Luke's problems when the truth is that the only person to blame is yourself."

The room grew silent as Anna's accusation lingered. May got up, taking Caleb from Keith and mumbled something about putting her grandson down for a nap. May had always had a weak stomach for family fights.

"Dan and I are trying our best…"Karen began before getting cut off by Anna.

"You are doing your best to get by, just like Brooke is. Any one can see something is wrong with the girl. She's dangerously underweight, she's not sleeping and I can only assume that the problem resides in her house."

Keith nodded in agreement. "What affects Brooke affects Lucas. We're asking that you show a bit of compassion instead of criticizing the baby clothes she buys or the desserts she brings to holiday dinners."

Shifting uneasily at the turning tide against her, Karen started to rebut Keith's words but he held up a hand toward her. "I don't care if you don't support Brooke but I do ask that you stop criticizing everything she does."

Karen was silent for a moment, stunned by Keith's staunch defense of the girl. "She's ruining my son's life," Karen insisted.

"Or maybe she's a convenient scapegoat because it's easier to blame her rather than yourself," Anna asserted.

Dan finally stood up, determined to put an end to this. "Karen will try to be nicer to Brooke. But we really need to take a break before…"

Karen cut him off. "No one can fill the holes in that girl. She's like an emotional sieve that's too needy for anyone to fix. I don't want Luke caught up in her drama."

Anna moved in on her words. "Or maybe you are afraid she'll get pregnant so she'll always have someone to love, kind of like you did."

* * *

Nathan cautiously approached the red door of the Davis house, not sure if he should ring the door bell or just walk in. Lucas pulled back; always leery of the reception he received at this house.

Haley looked at the boys for a moment in exasperation before throwing the red door open and tearing up the massive staircase. The boys stared after her for a second before jogging up the stairs behind her. Haley cleared the last step and started for Brooke's bedroom when the sound of a gun shot rang out through the foyer.

Brooke held the gun steadily and pulled it back level with J.J.'s chest. The men slowly glanced behind them, to the hole in Brooke's wall, where the bullet from her gun was lodged. She'd fired a foot to the side of her stepbrother's chest. She felt dizzy for a moment, realizing that her gun gave her power. It was a heady moment that helped diminish the pain that had a vice grip on her heart for the past few months.

J.J. realized how close she'd come to shooting him and drew in a shaky breath. He took a step toward her, intent on taking the gun away from her, when she coldly pointed it at his chest and pulled the trigger back. "You shot a gun at me, you crazy bitch."

The haze cleared around Brooke as she became rooted in the present, not trapped in the past. "Then we're even because you raped me, you bastard."

A noise behind her distracted her, as she turned and saw her friends standing in the door way. Her hands shook momentarily, causing the gun to waver a moment, before she forced herself to hold it defensively in front of her. Her heart pounded in her chest and she fought for control. She'd worked so hard to hide this information, to bury it like the optimistic young girl who'd been violated that night. Brooke had spent so many months lying and faking that she didn't know how to react to something as simple as the truth. She only knew how to shut down and stop feeling. Anything to stop feeling so much pain from that night.

Luke heard her words echo in his head for a moment, as he took in the sight of his girlfriend, with torn clothing, wielding a gun at two people. He glanced at Nate, who was similarly stunned at both Brooke's words and her gun.

Haley, though shocked at Brooke's accusation of rape, decided to take charge of the situation. "Brooke, I think you need to give me the gun," she gently said, walking slowly toward her friend. The glazed look in Brooke's eyes scared Haley nearly as much as the gun her friend had a vice grip on.

Having heard enough, Lucas decided to take matters into his own hands. He side stepped Haley and threw J.J. into the wall with a fore check worthy of NHL consideration. Trey stood by uncertainly, giving Brooke an uneasy look while Lucas pummeled his son with furious fists.

Seeing that Haley was cajoling Brooke, Nathan stepped around Trey and attempted to pull his brother off Brooke's attacker. "Lucas, not now," he hissed, realizing that they needed to get Brooke away from these people and convince her to hand over the gun.

Lucas struggled against his brother's arms for a moment, before conceding to the idea that he should be more focused on his girlfriend and not the sleaze who was currently laying at his feet. He gave the boy one more kick to the ribs for good measure, before turning around to look at Brooke.

Brooke stared blankly at the sight of J.J. broken and bleeding on the ground. Part of her was satisfied that he was in pain, but the other part of her realized that he could never know the pain he'd inflicted on her. It was pain that had permeated her soul and forever changed her. No amount of punches would ever beat the evil out of her stepbrother.

"Brooke, I know you are scared and that you were attacked tonight, but I need you to give me the gun," Haley cajoled, hoping that words could end this stand off before someone got seriously hurt.

Brooke stared at J.J. on the ground again for a moment before shifting to meet her friend's eyes. "He raped me," she emotionlessly repeated, wanting to make sure that she was finally heard. She'd kept the truth buried so deep inside her that she wasn't even sure if she had the ability to speak the words out loud.

Lucas slowly made his way to her side, numb at how small and vulnerable Brooke looked at that moment, like she was collapsing into herself. Nathan stood his ground, forming a barrier between the two perverts and his friend. He wanted to go comfort Brooke and protect her like he should have months ago, but looking at J.J. he realized that his friend needed him to keep her attacker as far away as possible.

Haley stayed out of the path of the gun, respecting the power of the weapon as well as Brooke's nearly disassociated state. All she needed was to spook the girl into firing the gun again. "What happened Brooke? When did he attack you?" She gently asked, sensing that Brooke wanted to get the words out.

"It was the night of the wedding," she reluctantly began, giving Trey and J.J. a look that boarded on hatred and disgust. "J.J. came into my bedroom during the reception party. I had just finished off a bottle of Champagne. I'd been drinking most of the night," she confessed, still angry at herself for getting drunk and not being able to fight back.

Lucas gently reached out and touched her check, making sure that his actions didn't freak her out. His heart constricted a bit as she flinched at his touch. Suddenly, all those nightmares he'd witnessed and all the times he'd playfully touched her only to have her jump made sense. He lowered his eyes, realizing that he should have known someone was hurting Brooke. He'd failed in protecting her and keeping her away from those who hurt her.

Haley encouraged Brooke to continue. "Why were you drinking?" She curiously asked, knowing that most kids would not have been creative enough to get so much booze at a party.

Brooke motioned toward Trey. "He creeped me out. He was always touching me and making inappropriate comments," she admitted. "It was like living with a predator. That's why I asked Luke to put the deadbolt on my bed room door. I'd wake up in the middle of the night and he'd be standing over my bed."

Everyone turned to face Trey, who looked defiant at the accusations thrown at him. "This girl is a slut who is slandering me and my son," he asserted, backing off a bit as Nathan towered over him.

"I'd suggest you stop calling her names before you end up on the floor with your pervert son," Nathan calmly replied. So many things made sense to him now. All the late night phone calls from Brooke, the times she showed up on his doorstep in the middle of the night seeking refuge. He was growing angry at himself for not realizing that most of her problems started after that wedding.

Brooke took a deep breath, realizing that Nathan, Lucas and her gun could stop these two from hurting her again. "J.J. started crawling on me. I told him to stop. I tried pushing him away. . ." Her voice cracked and she fought to control her shaking body. The night of the rape was nine months ago, but it felt like yesterday to her.

J.J. looked up at her in disgust. "You wanted it and now you've created this story so your friends don't find out what a slut you are," he shouted, his voice losing steam as Brooke pointed her gun at his chest.

"I don't care what you say. We both know what happened that night. I was a drunk 15 year old and you raped me," she firmly said. The pressure that had permanently resided in her heart seemed to lessen a bit. She looked at Trey in disgust. "And you are just an old pervert who likes to feel up girls young enough to be their daughter. You are just as bad as your son."

Trey smiled at her. "You've lost all credibility, Brookie. Your mom thinks you're a drunk slut. Your father, when he bothers to remember you, thinks you are out of control. Your teachers think you are a stupid cheerleader," he insulted, piling on the insults. "If you dare to accuse my son or myself, everyone in town will call you a liar."

Lucas moved toward the older man, angrier than he'd been in a long time. Feeling something other than numb for the first time in months. "If you say one more thing to Brooke, I'm going to put my fist down your throat." His hand, bloodied from his earlier assault on J.J. twitched in anticipation of hitting the man.

Haley took a deep breath and decided that this needed to end now. Brooke looked like she was going to throw up. The room was spinning out of control and Haley feared that someone was going to get seriously hurt. She motioned for Luke to get away from Trey.

"Brooke, I need you to give me the gun," she firmly said, putting her hand out toward the small girl. "You can trust us, Brooke. But you have to give me the gun."

She looked over at Trey and J.J. for a moment, seeing that Nathan and Lucas had them under control. She hesitated for a moment, before lowering the gun. When no one attacked her, she slowly placed the gun in Haley's outstretched hand.

Trey smirked in their general direction. "Crazy bitch. I should go call the police."

Haley whirled around to face the older man. "I want you to stay away from Brooke," she said, her voice deadly calm in a sea of chaos. "I don't care where you go or what you do, but I want you away from this house as much as possible."

Trey stared incredulously at the petite girl in front of him. "Who are you to tell me where I can and can't go?"

Haley forced herself to ignore Brooke, who was shaking silently in Luke's arms. "My mother goes to Sunday school with Judge Parker, who I believe is the family court judge for Tree Hill."

Nathan picked up on Haley's thought process. "Judge Parker also plays golf with my dad on a regular basis," he added, realizing that Haley had already connected the dots in this problem.

"If you play grab ass with Brooke, or even spend time in the same room with her, I will personally tell my mother that she needs to call Judge Parker," Haley stated, knowing that her mother might be flakey but she always stood up for a child in a need.

Nathan moved behind Haley, hoping to back her up both physically and verbally. "And if you don't keep your son away from Brooke, I will have my dad call his golf buddy and tell him that Brooke has spent more time at our house the past year than her house and that he knows something is wrong."

Ignoring J.J. Haley continued the verbal assault. "You might think you are big and powerful but two complaints about the same family to a respected Judge is going to result in social services being called. And that means publicity. By the time we get through with you, your family name won't be worth anything." Haley knew these types of people. She'd spent her entire life around people who felt they were entitled to everything simply because of their last name.

Trey assessed the situation and realized that the girl's threats had some merit. These little towns were full of inbred locals who knew everyone's business. He put his hand on his son's back and maneuvered him toward the door. "I would be very careful about who you threaten in the future, little girl," he said to Haley as they walked by. "You never know what accidents can happen."

Luke's eyes finally focused at the overt threat to his friend. He left Brooke's side and stormed over to where Trey and J.J. stood. Nathan realized that his brother was out for blood and blocked his path. "Not now, Luke. Let it go and take care of Brooke," he growled, putting his arms out to stop his brother from attacking the targets of his anger.

Staring daggers at the two men, Luke shrugged off Nate's arm, knowing that Brooke had to be the priority right now. His voice was soft but clear. "One day, we'll meet again J.J., and when that day comes, you'll get what you truly deserve. It might not be next week or even next year. But you'll pay for what you did to her. I promise you that."

Luke's words gave Haley pause, as she alone understood that Luke had just thrown down the proverbial gauntlet. She knew her childhood friend spoke the truth. He would make it his mission in life to get J.J. just as he'd promised to make Dan's life a living hell when they were in fourth grade.

Moving next to Brooke, he wrapped his arm around her and guided her into her dressing room so that she could get away from the men who were terrorizing her. Haley watched as the two men left the room and then she turned to Nate. "I need you to do me a favor," she slowly said, realizing that this night was going to be a long one. "I need you to drive over to my house and go into my garage. My dad has a work bench that has a lot of paint cans and DIY stuff."

Nathan looked around the room in confusion. "Brooke admitted she was raped and all you want to do is home renovation?" he asked, concerned about his girlfriend's priorities.

"No, I want you to get some spackle and some of the paint that we used when we redid the kitchen last year," she explained. "Just in case Trey decides to press charges against Brooke for trying to shoot them, we need to make sure there's no evidence."

Nathan's brow crease for a moment before he reached out and brushed his hand against her check. "I'm glad one of us is thinking clearly. The slime bucket is more than capable of pressing charges against Brooke in order to negate her charges against J.J."

Haley walked over to the dressing room, where Lucas was comforting Brooke.

She walked over and hugged the girl before pulling back and looking at her friend.

"I need your help, Brooke. I need you to help me find where you shot the gun."

She led Brooke and Lucas over to the wall where Brooke took a shot off. "We need to find where the bullet went into the wall," Haley explained, knowing that as soon as she got rid of the bullet, there would be less evidence for anyone to find. Lucas absently ran his hand over the wall, his eyes slightly unfocused on the task. Nathan shrugged at Luke's behavior and went over to help search for the bullet.

A few minutes later, Nathan shouted out. "I found it!" He reached over and snatched one of Brooke's metal nail files off her vanity table. Using the narrow end, he pried the bullet out of the wall, leaving a little pile of plaster and dry wall on the black and white marble floor.

Haley smiled at him and motioned him toward the door. "Go get the stuff from my dad's work bench. We'll have the wall patched and repaired good as new in a few hours."

She turned toward Brooke and Lucas, each looking lost and alone in the large bed room.

"Lucas, you need to take Brooke some place safe tonight, a place that no one would think to look for her, just in case Trey's got something up his sleeve."

Haley pulled Lucas aside and spoke to him in a low voice. "You need to make sure that Brooke is alright", she reminded him, realizing that Lucas seemed as numb as Brooke.

"Take her some place quiet and keep her away from this house for a while."

Luke stared at the floor for a moment before looking up at Haley's warm eyes. "I don't have the best record for making sure that Brooke's okay," he softly said, feeling that Brooke might be better off with him.

She reached out and forced him to look at her. "You didn't do anything wrong, Luke. Brooke was raped months before you started to date her. She hid the stuff with her stepfather very well. You couldn't have known what was going on with her."

He shrugged at her words, knowing that nothing could be said to make him feel better about not protecting Brooke. He should have known that there was a reason why she was in so much pain. He should have known that she wasn't eating for a reason. Lucas slowly walked into the dressing room, where Brooke sat, blending into the shadows.

Slowly moving over to sit next to her, Lucas pulled her to him. "Hales wants us to get out of here. We need to pack up a small bag and leave," he explained to her. Brooke silently got up and pulled one of Luke's old hoodies over her head. Lucas picked up a Chloe bag and held it open for her as she listlessly dumped clothing and toiletries into it.

As they were leaving the room, Lucas pulled two fifths of tequila out of a corner in her closet and added it to her overnight bag. Just in case, he thought, he might as well add the baggie that contained a variety of pills.

* * *

Okay...so that took a long time to post. I thought the story would be over in a few chapters, but I've been told that where I plan to end the story is not a great place for the readers. I'm torn because I know that the fanbase for this story is finding new fandoms. I never thought my story would take longer to write than the show's TV run. I know by the hits that people are reading (and I'm amazed at the those who've been commenting since the first chapters. I just don't know if I should extend the story to avoid giving you a cliffhanger from hell instead of a neatly wrapped up story. Thoughts are always appreciated. I would love to know what you thought about this chapter. It was hard to write. I hope it did Brooke's angst justice. And thanks to Stagediva for reading and opining. I promise that Luke will only be on your nerves for a few more chapters.

Thanks!


	73. Chapter 73

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 73

* * *

Haley glanced around the dark parking lot in concern, convinced Brooke had given her the wrong address. "This place is creepy," she commented, as Nathan pulled his SUV into a parking place in the worn parking lot.

They watched as a tattered neon sign blinked on and off, giving the place an extra special serial killer vibe. Nathan shrugged his shoulders at his girlfriend. "Maybe this is the only place that was renting rooms this late at night," he suggested. It was past midnight on Thanksgiving night and Nate felt like the day was never going to end.

Haley glanced around at the various cars in the parking lot for a moment. "Or maybe this is the kind of place that rents rooms by the hour. We did tell her to find some place that no one would think to find her."

Nathan reluctantly got out of his SUV. "This is definitely a place you wouldn't expect to find Brooke Davis," he replied, as he wrapped a protective arm around his girlfriend. He walked down the row of dilapidated rooms until he found the room number that Brooke texted him. He looked at Haley for a second and then raised his hand and knocked.

A few seconds later the door opened, revealing an exhausted looking Lucas. He stepped back and let the couple into the dingy hotel room. Haley looked around the room, concerned when she didn't immediately see Brooke.

Lucas nodded to the bathroom. "She's washing her face," he quietly said, looking helplessly at his brother and friend. He picked up a glass and took a swig, motioning them to sit down.

Nathan motioned toward his glass. "Do you think this is the right time to be drinking?" He could smell the alcohol several feet away. Nate was a bit disappointed that Lucas was hitting the bottle when he should have been supporting Brooke.

Lucas downed the rest of the drink and shrugged his shoulders. "Man, if ever there is a right time to drink, this is it," he numbly replied. Ignoring his brother, Lucas poured himself another drink and then sank into the tattered arm chair near the bed. He'd already swallowed a handful of Valium and Hydrocodone. Lucas was stressed out and needed something to coax his heart rate down to a livable level. He forced himself to relax, trying to forgive himself not being all that Brooke needed him to be. He took another drink, hoping that the alcohol would steady his frayed nerves so that he could help his girlfriend get through the night.

Haley looked around the worn room for a place to sit down and decided that the bed looked to be the cleanest option. "These are pretty nice sheets for such a nasty place," she commented to no one in particular.

"The sheets are mine but the owner is a nice guy," Brooke quietly commented, walking out of the tiny bathroom. "He always rents me a room even though he knows I'm under age."

Nathan ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "You stay here often enough to know the owner?" he asked. Brooke shrugged at his question. "I had to find some place to stay when I couldn't crash with you. This place is kind of like my home away from home."

She moved slowly across the room, as if she'd aged in a matter of hours since they'd seen her last. Haley motioned Brooke over to sit next to her on the bed. "We finished fixing the wall at your house," she commented. "If anyone goes looking for a bullet hole, they won't find one."

Brooke smiled at them vaguely, her presence so very dim from what they were used to seeing. "Thanks. I really owe you both for tonight," she softly said, looking over at Lucas. "All three of you, of course." He raised his eyebrows at the over sight, before downing his drink.

Haley rubbed her friend on the back. "Do you want to talk about it?" she softly asked. Brooke shook her head slightly, convinced she'd said way too much that night already.

Nathan moved in front of her and squatted down so he was at eye level with his friend. "Brooke, I think we need to go to the police." He didn't think rape was something he and his friends could responsibly handle.

Brooke looked up, panic written all over her face. "No . . . we can't tell anyone about this," she insisted, her voice rising with each syllable. Her heart started pounding in her chest and she felt what little control she had left slipping away from her. Her family would hate her even more if she accused her stepbrother of rape. She couldn't face anyone else calling her a slut or bringing up her less than stellar past.

Haley glanced over at Lucas, who seemed to be zoned out. She reached her foot out and nudged his leg, trying to get him to react to Brooke's words.

"Brooke, maybe it is time to get an adult involved," Lucas ventured, before a withering look from his girlfriend cut him off. He sank lower into the chair, silent recriminations running through his head.

"It's my life and I don't think talking about this is going to help me," she stated, even as her voice trembled. She was so tired. She couldn't recall a time she felt so worn out, not even when she'd gotten mono her sophomore year. It's like she'd invested all her energy into keeping secrets and now that they were out, she had nothing left for herself.

Haley gently rubbed Brooke's back, trying to offer any solace that she could even as tears streamed down Brooke's face. "You need to file a police report so that J.J. doesn't get away with this," she argued, disgusted by the idea that this creep could hurt someone and not be brought to justice.

"He's already gotten away with it," Brooke somberly said. "I have no proof, no D.N.A.. It's just my word against his." She considered going to the police in the months after it happened but unlike TV shows, there wasn't much the police could do without proof.

Nathan, still kneeling in front of her, gently grabbed her hand. "We can all testify that we saw him attack you and that he tried to rape you again the night of the cotillion." She smiled at him, knowing that both he and Lucas tried to get her to press charges that night. But she was too weak to do the right thing that night, just as she'd been too weak to fight off J.J. the night of the rape. She'd lived a life of nothing but bad choices.

"I can't do this," she softly replied. "If I go to the police and no one believes me then it's like being attacked all over again." She forced herself to breathe and to ignore the anguish she felt. She was on the verge of being overwhelmed with the lack of control that swirled around her.

Lucas finally reacted to all the angst around him. "No one is going to force you to do anything, Brooke. Whatever happens next is your decision." He ignored Nathan's incredulous reaction. Brooke had so very little control over her life in the last year and Lucas wasn't going to force her to do something against her will.

Haley tried to reassure Brooke. "Nathan and Lucas saw him attack you after Cotillion. I can back up their story because I saw how he tore your clothes and beat you up later that night." She felt the tide turning in the room. Haley feared that Brooke would shove this back down and ignore the chance to get help.

She reached out and hugged Brooke. "You need help, Brooke. You've stopped eating and going to school. You need to talk to someone and get help." Haley knew someone needed to do something here, but the resolution was beyond her sixteen years. Brooke had sworn her to secrecy which ruled out going to someone to get her help.

Brooke abruptly stood up and moved across the small room to stand by herself. "Talking about it might make you all feel better but it doesn't make me feel better," she explained, tired of this discussion already.

Standing up, Lucas moved to his girlfriend's side. "The main thing we need to focus on is getting Brooke out of that house permanently," he decided, fighting to focus on the words in his alcohol addled brain.

Nathan stood up and turned to face his friend. "I think my house is out, since Karen's spending so much time there." He hated that Karen couldn't see how sweet Brooke could be. But he also understood that Karen couldn't be stressed out right now, for the health of his future sibling. "I'm not sure if the beach house is an option either, since they've been spending time out there as well."

Lucas thought for a moment, fighting through a bit of inertia. He was finding it hard to focus on much of what was going on around him. "I think it's time we talked to Anna." He knew that Brooke trusted Anna and that she might be able to help them find a way out for Brooke.

* * *

The silence in the dining room grew as Karen stared incredulously at her future sister in law. "How dare you accuse me of getting pregnant on purpose," she spurted out, furious that this woman was judging her for a past she knew nothing about.

Anna ignored the pleading looks she was getting from both Dan and Keith. "Dan was going off to school and you were afraid that he was moving on to a life you weren't a part of. What better way to make sure he came back than to get pregnant with his child."

Dan moved in between the women, trying to stop this insane argument. "Anna, we were together for a long time before Karen got pregnant. And I was just as responsible for birth control as she was," he argued, hoping to disarm the anger he saw on Karen's face. "And as you can see, we've not gotten much better at it with age."

Anna turned back toward Karen. "What you fail to see is that Brooke gives Lucas unconditional loyalty. He knows that he's got someone in his corner that will support him and listen to him without lecturing him. Brooke gives Luke the loyalty that he's not getting from you."

Frowning at the woman's words, Karen shook her head in confusion. "I don't know what you are talking about. Lucas and I were inseparable until Brooke came into his life."

"No, you and Lucas were inseparable until Dan came into your life," Anna stated. "You've done some unforgivable things regarding Lucas," she said, nodding toward Dan. "No offense," Anna added, looking at her brother in law.

Dan shrugged his shoulders at her words. "No offense taken." He couldn't exactly claim the high road here, considering how he'd abandoned his own child from birth. Karen interrupted his contemplations. "Lucas needs to get over Dan's presence in our life and accept it," Karen coldly replied. She was tired of being judged by everyone in this town.

"That's why Lucas is so upset with you. You abandoned him for a man, just like Luke is leaving you for Brooke. Maybe you should just accept it and move on," Anna snidely suggested. Seeing that Karen was actually listening to her, she took a different tact.

"I know you live in fear that Luke will end up trying to find happiness from an unhappy home with Brooke, just like you tried to find it with Dan. I get that's why you hate Brooke, because you see her trapping your son. But that's why Lucas feels the need to protect her. It's like a stupid Greek tragedy where you enable what you sought to avoid."

Karen fought back tears, refusing to go back to her own years of teen angst. She moved closer to where Anna stood. "You have no right making judgments about me."

Shrugging her shoulders, Anna picked her words carefully. "I've been that unhappy girl in that unhappy home, desperate to get out. Just like you were and just like Brooke is. Someone needs to stand up for Brooke before you tear her to pieces. Brooke has made mistakes, but she's only sixteen. What's your excuse?" Anna quietly asked.

The room was deadly quiet, even Roy not knowing what to say to the recriminations bouncing around the room. Knowing she'd made her point, Anna moved a few steps back to gain some space from the woman she wanted to throttle. "It ends now, Dan. I'm not going to sit around and watch while Karen picks on Brooke." Keith smiled at his wife, knowing that her protective instincts had only grown stronger with the birth of their baby.

Keith moved his wife toward the door, knowing that needed to collect their son and go home before Anna and Karen went at each other. He turned toward his brother and softly said, "You need to consider letting Luke move in with us. I think everyone needs time to cool off before you two get married."

Looking at Karen, Dan knew that was an entirely new battle brewing within the family. "Keith, I appreciate your concern about Lucas, but we've got to learn to live together at some point. Allowing him to run to you isn't going to make that process any easier."

Keith shook his head at his younger brother, knowing that there were no easy answers to their family problems. But then again, there had never been any easy answers when his brother and father were involved. He turned and walked out of the room, intent on getting his family home.

* * *

Brooke stood with Nathan at the threshold of the door. It was growing late and they'd decided to call it a night and attempt to put the pieces back together the next day. Nathan pulled Brooke outside to get a moment alone with her.

Brushing her hair away from her face, he stared at her a moment. "I'm worried about you, Brooke," he softly commented. He felt so helpless and small in that moment. "I'm sorry that I didn't understand what you were going through. I'm sorry that I didn't dig deeper to find out what happened."

She sniffled a bit at the angst she heard in his voice. "I wanted to tell you, Nate. I just didn't know how to explain what was going on. I tried telling Peyton and she made me feel stupid and sleazy."

He grew angry at her words. "Peyton is a self involved bitch. She's too busy playing games to realize you were serious."

Brooke leaned back against the brick wall of the hotel room. "She didn't know what to say, just like no one knows what to say. I should have reported it the night it happened," she reflected.

Nate put his arm around her and pulled her into him. "You were fifteen, Brooke. Fifteen year olds shouldn't have to know when to call the police or not. You need to stop beating yourself up for everything you've ever done in your life."

She nodded at him, incapable of speaking in that moment. Nathan peered around the door, where Haley was deep in conversation with his brother. "Are you going to be okay with him tonight?" he softly asked, knowing that Lucas had been drinking.

Brooke smiled at the concern and reprimand in his voice. "He's had a rough night, Nate. But it will be okay and we'll all get on with life in the morning." It wasn't the best argument she'd ever made in her life, but it was all she had. The time for confrontation was coming. She couldn't let him go on like this for ever. But just for tonight, she'd let him seek his refuge.

Haley stared at Lucas with narrow eyes. "You need to stop drinking, Luke. It's getting out of control." He stared at her with glazed eyes, knowing that the pills and the booze were actually taking affect. "Do I look out of control to you, Hales?"

She fought the urge to slap him into reality. "The fact that you've nearly emptied that bottle and you are still in control speaks volumes, Luke." She was torn between taking Brooke home with her and staying the night to ensure that Brooke had some company if she needed it. But in the end, she had to trust that Luke could take care of his girlfriend.

"If you need anything tonight, call me," she instructed, hoping that he'd go to bed and sleep it off. She headed to the door to say good bye to Brooke.

A few minutes later, Brooke walked back into the room and closed the door, making sure to lock it and put up the security chain. She slowly turned toward Lucas and gave him a sad smile. "Long night." It was more a statement than a question.

Lucas stared at her for a moment before taking a long drink from his glass. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of him kicking back booze, wondering where he'd managed to find the booze and get it into the hotel room without her knowledge.

"Should you be drinking?" she casually asked, worried that she'd end up taking care of a drunk rather than receiving the solace that she desperately needed.

He took another drink, slightly annoyed at the tone in her voice. "You are starting to sound like my mom."

Brooked crossed the room and sank down on the bed across from the chair he was sitting in. "Maybe your mother and I see the same thing," she lightly replied, not wanting to fight with him. Not being able to fight with him on this particular night.

Lucas drained his cup before replying. "I'm just trying to relax," he said, reaching for the other bottle he'd brought from her room. He glanced at her disheveled, small form before taking a blanket out of her emergency bag and putting it around her shoulders. "Put this on, you're shivering."

She wrapped the blanket around her, happy that she finally had a chance to talk to Luke alone. She needed to know that he stilled loved her after everything he'd heard that night.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked, in a timid voice. She spent most of their time together evading both his questions and the truth. She was no better than Karen with her deceptions.

Lucas dropped his cup and moved over to sit next to her. "Why would I be upset?" he asked, not wanting to overwhelm her with his feelings of inadequacy.

She looked at his face, gauging his level of sobriety. "Because I didn't tell you the truth about the rape and what my stepfather was doing to me."

He sighed, feeling more tired than he'd ever felt before. "I thought you could tell me things," he quietly said. "I thought you trusted me."

She teared up at his words. "I wanted to tell you. But I felt so stupid and dirty. I didn't think you'd love me if you knew the truth," she confessed, feeling better now that she'd actually said that thought out loud.

"I'm not that shallow, Brooke, and I'd hope that you'd know that I'm not a conditional friend," he softly replied, pulling her hair away from her face so he could look in her eyes.

Her eyes brimmed with tears. "I thought Peyton wasn't that shallow but she told me I was being stupid about my stepfather. She said that I thought everyone wanted to sleep with me."

Lucas pulled her closer, realizing that Brooke needed support more than he needed answers. He knew she loved him, and on some level, that had to be enough. "Petyon is a bitch. She's incapable of dealing with anyone's pain but her own." His own heart ached at how he'd let Brooke down, how he didn't protect her when she'd needed him the most.

Brooke stood up. "I need to take a shower. I want to wash them off me," she quietly said, knowing that he'd understand what she meant. "Can we finish talking about this later?" she asked, knowing that they needed to get some sleep before they fell over.

He nodded, giving her a reassuring smile as she headed for the tiny bathroom. He walked over to the bag he'd packed in Brooke's closet and pulled out a bag of pills. He felt so stressed out, like a failure in life. All he had in the world was Brooke and he failed to protect her when she needed him the most. Just as he'd failed to stop Dan from moving in on his mother.

He tried to slowly exhale, like Dr. Andrews showed him, to no avail. Noting Brooke was still in the shower, he surreptitiously opened the bag and grabbed three pills. Washing them down with some tequila, he leaned back and waited for Brooke to come out. Maybe now he'd be relaxed enough to take care of her.

Brooke stood in the steam filled room, soaking in the solitude she'd found there. Her skin was red from standing under a scalding hot stream of water for nearly an hour and being scrubbed from head to toe. She hoped that Lucas hadn't fallen asleep yet. She really wanted him to hold her and tell her it was going to be okay.

Pulling her hair into a loose ponytail, she slid on some clean clothes and finally opened the door and walked out to the bedroom. She looked at the bed and found Lucas there, apparently sleeping. Sighing, she walked over to him and brushed her hand against his face.

Frowning, she looked closer, noting how his skin felt clammy. She looked at his chest and saw him struggling to breathe. His breath was irregular and his skin had a bluish tint.

"Lucas, I need to look at me," she said, panic creeping into her voice. She gave him a minute or so to react, before lightly smacking his face to get a reaction out of him. A sense of helplessness overwhelmed her as she took in the empty bottle of tequila on the floor beside the bed.

Grabbing her phone, she went to call Nathan before hesitating. Was this another bad decision? Nate had no idea what to do when a person was non-responsive. She stared at her phone for a moment before dialing 911.

* * *

Dan jerked awake at the sound of an insistent ringing sound. He sat up, staring at the clock beside his bed, wondering who in the hell was calling at three o'clock in the morning. Careful to not wake up Karen, who was sleeping beside him, he grabbed the phone off its cradle. "Hello," he softly said, waking up instantly at the voice on the other end of the phone. "I'll be there in a moment," he said, hanging up the phone and leaning over to find the clothes he'd discarded earlier that night.

Karen rolled over and mumbled "what's going on?" He placed a kiss on her check before heading for the door. "Go back to sleep, Kar. I'll take care of this."

* * *

That's one way to end a chapter, eh?

I know, It's been a while. I've decided that the story takes too long to write when all your beta's grow up and get real lives and don't have time to edit. If anyone is interested in beta'ing it might help me post chapters faster. I sat on this chapter for a month, not knowing if it hit the right notes or not. Thanks for reading and replying. All comments and criticism is appreciated.


	74. Chapter 74

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 74

* * *

Haley stepped uneasily into the boat, taking an uncertain look back at the security of the dock. "Are you sure that you know how to drive this thing?" she hesitantly asked.

Staring over the wheel of the boat, Nathan appreciated how nice she looked illuminated by the rising sun behind her curvy form. "I've been driving boats since I was a kid," he reassured her as he pulled the boat out of the slip.

He stifled a yawn, mentally calculating the precious few hours of sleep he'd gotten that night. Haley insisted they be out on the water at first light before most people were out of bed.

"Just think, you are up early enough for Black Friday," he joked, knowing that his practical girlfriend was not the type to stand in line for shopping bargains on the biggest shopping day of the season.

Haley wrinkled her nose at the idea of shopping mass hysteria. "We've got something much more important to do."

She'd racked her brain for hours about how to accomplish her goal. She was lucky that Dan owned a state of the art boat that he kept at the marina and that Nathan had access to the keys.

"Did anyone see you leave?" she asked. Her parents were staying with her oldest sister for the holiday. There had been no one to question her leaving the house at 5:30 in the morning.

Nathan squinted at the horizon, mentally plotting their course. "My grandparents were already up. I told them I was getting my morning run in," he explained, knowing that his grandfather approved of any insane behavior as long as it was related to basketball.

Frowning, Haley considered his words. "What freak gets up at 5:30 in the morning to run?" she asked, an incredulous look on her face.

"My dad," he solemnly replied, then laughed at this crazy family. "I'll be shocked if he doesn't try to feed the baby while he runs." Nate had not seen Karen or Dan and he assumed they were still sleeping.

Not having an athletic gene in her body, Haley was constantly amazed at how Dan, Nathan, and Lucas lived basketball. Lucas had even managed the art of simultaneously watching basketball games on TV while reading books, a habit which annoyed Haley to no end.

"What will Dan do if this new baby doesn't want to play basketball?" she asked. "Or worse, what if it's a girl?"

Nathan laughed at the ridiculous idea of a non-basketball playing child in the family. "I'm sure Dan will use that as an excuse to invade and dominate another sport." He could image his father standing on a soccer field yelling at the girls for not playing harder. Frowning, Nathan wondered if Dan showed his affection and love for his children through sports. Maybe there was a better way, but at least he cared what Nate did with his life.

The boat passed the three mile out buoy and Nathan killed the engine. "Are we out far enough?" he uncertainly asked. Haley was in charge of this party and he just hoped that her love of CSI novels proved useful.

She nodded at him and glanced around. "Do you think we're alone?" she asked. Nathan took in the rising sun and the deserted water, he nodded. "I think we're the only people insane enough to go out on a boat on the day after Thanksgiving."

Haley slipped on a pair of gloves and surreptitiously pulled a plain plastic bag from the floor of the boat. Lacking any descriptive logo, the bag had been pulled from a community recycle bin. Weighed down with rocks and a sparkling clean gun, Haley gently dropped the bag into the ocean water.

Leaning over the side of the boat, Nathan watched as the bag and its contents slipped beneath the water.

"We're about three miles out. The chances of someone finding the gun is remote," he calmly stated, mentally calculating the number of laws they'd broken the last twenty-four hours. They were past the shoreline far enough that the gun shouldn't wash up on shore.

Haley moved over and wrapped her arm around his waist. "I know it's a small thing, but at least I feel like I'm helping Brooke in some small way."

Looking down at her shiny hair, Nate inhaled the scent he associated with her. She was so beautiful that he some times lost his train of thought when she was this close to him.

"I'm sure Brooke appreciates it. I just hope she's okay and that Luke is sober enough to support her." Nathan was going to have to address the drinking issue. Sure, he liked to get wasted at parties, but he never got falling down drunk. Based on tonight, Nate had to admit that Karen's concerns about his brother's drinking were legitimate.

Haley thought about her life long friend for a moment. She understood that Luke was in pain due to his parent's actions but she didn't understand how such a rational, logical person could turn to alcohol. "The main thing is to make sure Brooke doesn't go back to that house." She wasn't sure she could help Luke at this point, but she damn sure could stop Brooke from walking back into that house.

Nathan considered her words. "Her mom usually travels to the Caribbean for the holidays. I doubt she'll be home until after New Year's."

Frowning, Haley thought about Brooke being alone every holiday. When she spent time alone it was because she had to work or did not want to travel. The idea that Brooke's parents never wanted to spend time with her made Haley sad.

"I think we need help, Nate. We're in over our heads. If anything happens to her, we'll never get over it." Truth told, Haley already felt enormously guilty for not trying to do more for Brooke. Things were spinning out of control and for once, Haley did not know the right thing to do.

Nate starred at the rising sun a moment before commenting. "I think the only hope we have is that Brooke tells Anna." They stared out at the water, relishing the tranquility they found there and wondered how long it could last.

* * *

Dan rushed into the emergency room and looked around for anyone in charge. He found a nurse at the intake desk. "I was told my son was here," he said.

"Name," she barked out, not bothering to look up from her computer screen.

"Lucas Scott," he quietly replied, not wanting to announce his family dysfunction to the entire room.

The nurse flipped through a few folders on the desk for a moment, before pulling one out and reading. "Lucas Scott, 16 year old male, currently having his stomach pumped due to a toxic mix of alcohol and pills." She put the folder down and pointed across the room. "You can wait with her. She brought him in." Before Dan could react, she picked up some files and made her way to a back office. Looking over to where she pointed, he saw Brooke curled up in a plastic chair.

Dan sat next to Brooke in the waiting room, shoulders slumped and defeated. He thought Luke's experimenting with alcohol was over. The kid hadn't had any run-ins with the law and he'd been fairly good about getting home by curfew. Dan was foolish enough to think that the counseling was actually helping his son.

"It's my fault," she quietly said, seeing the fear and tension in the older man's frame. She was tired unto death and just wanted to go some place quiet and pull the covers over her head. The evening had been overwhelming to her and the noise from the ER was driving her crazy.

Dan looked over at her in interest. "Why is it your fault that my son is popping pills and slugging down alcohol like the town drunk?" he asked, realizing that for once someone was offering him valuable information about his kid.

She hesitated for a moment, never sure about what to say to adults and what to keep quiet. "Luke was upset . . . there are a lot of things that are just messed up at my house. He was just trying to help me and things got out of control. He just needed a drink to calm down," she offered, not wanting to tell anyone about the gun and her sleazy stepfather. Brooke would be lucky if Nate didn't confide in his father after the seriousness of the night's events.

"Where did Luke get the pills?" Dan asked, knowing that his son wasn't indulging in some holiday drinking fun. None of this made any sense, he thought. While the family Thanksgiving dinner had been tense, nothing had happened that would drive his son into a full fledge drinking fest. Not unless he was totally unstable, he soberly thought.

"Are you kidding?" Brooke looked away in embarrassment at his question. She hated to disclose her family dysfunction. "My mom has Valium in candy dishes around the house." Katherine was nothing if not a good host.

"And the painkillers?" Dan prompted, amazed that his son had access to so many drugs.

Brooke shrugged. "I twisted my ankle in cheer practice and the doctor gave me a big bottle of it. Luke kind of raided my medicine cabinet," she stated, knowing that this conversation was a big mistake. Admitting that you knew anything was always a mistake. Confiding in adults was a worse mistake.

"This can't go on, Brooke," he softly replied, sad that his boy was so upset about life in general and his family in particular. He turned to face the petite girl. "You aren't drunk, Brooke. If you were as damaging as Karen thinks, you'd be drunk too."

She looked down at the floor, knowing that Karen hated her. She couldn't exactly argue since she had introduced Luke to alcohol and drugs. But she'd never forced them on her boyfriend. She'd always had control over substances. It was something to lose herself in for a few hours. Luke had just started losing himself for days. She'd never gone that far before.

"It's all my fault," she softly admitted. Dan grabbed her small hand and gained her attention. "You didn't pour the stuff down his throat, Brooke. He has to take responsibility for his actions. You can't make him sober." Dan knew from watching Karen's parents that you couldn't excuse away a person's accountability.

"He'll be okay. Trust me when I say that he's reacting to a lot of things that aren't his fault," she argued, knowing that Dan could never understand Trey and J.J. She understood that pressure that Luke was under. Part of her was angry that he'd bailed on her and the support she needed, however, she was loyal to a fault and she felt the need to defend her boyfriend to his father.

Dan stared at her intensely, ignoring the sounds seeping in from the emergency room. "What's going on with your family, Brooke?" he gently asked. "You seem to have a perpetual bag packed and I know you've spent more nights at my house than your own the past year. You look like you've stopped eating …" he trailed off, not sure what to say. It seemed strange that he could read his son's friend so well but he'd known her for years and she seemed a shell of the vibrant girl he'd known.

"All families have problems, Mr. Scott," she quietly replied, giving him a solemn look. "You should know that better than any one."

Dan leaned back in his chair and considered her words. He turned to look at Brooke for a moment before speaking. "I look at you and Luke and I don't see bad kids. I see fucked up kids who are in so much pain that they can't figure out what to do. But it's like you are reinforcing each others pain and driving yourselves toward isolation. You'll never find happiness that way, Brooke," he gently said, watching her face as he spoke. "You are just ensuring that you are both going to be unhappy and alone."

The nurse came out, interrupting their serious conversation. "You can go in and see your son, Mr. Scott," she somberly informed him. "He'll probably sleep for a while. The doctor will be in to see you in a bit."

Brooke picked up her purse and walked in behind the large man. The nurse put her hand out, blocking her progress into the room. "Sorry, honey. Family only," she said.

Dan turned around and saw Brooke's face drop. "She's family," he told the nurse, watching her frown at his words. The nurse silently turned on her heel and walked off, leaving them alone with Lucas.

* * *

Thanks for reading and replying. I appreciate all comments, good and bad. Next up: Dan and Lucas and Brooke and Dan and Dan and Anna/Keith. How descriptive is that? Have a great end of Labor Day!


	75. Chapter 75

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 75

* * *

Brooke and Dan quietly entered the ICU room. An ashen Luke lay in a hospital bed, as a series of tubes snaked across his body. A machine behind him beeped erratically, adding to the room's grim atmosphere.

Their reverie was interrupted by a noise at the door. A tall man with grey blending at his temples stepped into the room. "I'm Dr. Fitzpatrick," he said, reaching out to shake both Brooke and Dan's hands, motioning for them to sit in the room's utilitarian chairs.

"We've pumped Luke's stomach with a NG tube, which prevented most of the alcohol and drugs from being absorbed into his blood system. Judging by his blood alcohol content, he's spent a good amount of time drinking this evening."

Both men turned to look at Brooke. She looked at her French Sole ballet flats for a moment before finding her voice. "I'm not sure when he started drinking." She mentally reviewed the night, realizing that it had to be after the confrontation with J.J.. "Maybe around Midnight?" she speculated. She hadn't exactly been paying attention to what was in her boyfriend's cup.

The doctor wrote that information down in Luke's chart. "We're very lucky that you got him here before all that Valium, Oxycotin, and alcohol got into his bloodstream. It might have killed him," Dr. Fitzpatrick informed them.

Seeing a tear fall from Brooke's eye, he took pity on her situation. "By calling 911, she probably saved your son's life." Dan gently squeezed Brooke's shoulder. "I know you didn't want to make that call because you were afraid of getting him in trouble," Dan surmised. "But you did the right thing by calling the ambulance."

The doctor placed Luke's chart back on the foot of the bed. "He's going to feel horrible when he regains consciousness, but he'll probably be released in a few days, depending on his hydration levels and blood work." He paused in the doorway and looked back at Brooke. "You might want to warn your friend that taking Valium with painkillers can be lethal but adding alcohol to pills is just stupid," he stated, knowing that he was preaching to the choir. The girl in front of him obviously didn't have a problem as she was sober.

Knowing that he'd given all the warnings he could, the doctor turned toward Dan. "You need to get him into a substance abuse program," he advised.

Dan nodded. "We've already been in contact with a place,' he replied, not wanting to say more in front of Brooke. He could only imagine the storm that was about to break loose in Tree Hill and he didn't need Brooke warning Luke about what was about to happen. The dark haired girl frowned at his words, knowing a parental end run when she heard one.

A loud noise startled Dan out of his uneasy sleep. He blinked a few times, and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He realized that he must have dozed off at the side of Luke's hospital bed, based on the face sized indention on the bed. He'd tried to relax but found it difficult while his son was connected to so many machines. Luke had been moved to a private room shortly after sunrise. Dan was grateful that he'd put Lucas on his insurance policy months ago. Otherwise, his son would be in some dreadful shared room with some loser who had bad insurance. This room at least offered him privacy in these trying times. Dan was happy to get away from the curious stares of the more open emergency room setting. All he needed was to be fodder for the town gossips.

The steady beeps of the machinery behind Luke's bed matched the pounding of his head. Dan tried to block out Karen's distraught visit to the ER hours before. He'd worked so hard to keep her stress free and healthy during this pregnancy and Lucas was doing his best to cause trouble.

Hearing a soft sigh, he turned to look behind him, where Brooke was curled up in the awkward device that passed as a make shift chair/bed. Earlier, a nurse had taken pity on the shivering girl and had brought her two blankets. He stared at the girl as she restlessly slept and wondered what she had to do with his son's problems. And more importantly, why was Luke drinking when Brooke wasn't?

Dan stretched his large frame, trying to work the knots out of his shoulders as he glanced at his watch. He hated keeping vigils in hospitals. Ever since he'd lost Daniel and Deb, he hated being in hospitals. It was nearly 8 AM. He'd already called his parents to warn them about why he'd left the house. However, he was too late to stop Karen from hearing about Luke's condition. She'd shown up in the middle of the night, freaked out to find her only child in a hospital bed. It had taken Karen less than 15 minutes to end up in an examination room herself. Now Dan was getting lectured by another doctor about the health of another family member.

Keith and Anna had finally convinced Karen to go home and rest before she harmed her baby. Dan smiled at Anna's persuasive cajoling. She could convince an Eskimo that he needed more snow in winter. Dan just wished that Anna could do something for his wayward son.

Dan was secretly grateful for Karen's absence. He needed some time to think about what they were going to do Luke and how they were going to get him help. Sighing, he ran his hand through his hair. Karen would have to wait a few more hours. He needed to make sure the boy was stable before he could leave Luke's side.

A warm touch snapped Dan out of his stupor. He looked down and saw Luke's hand on top of his. Looking at his son, Dan watched as the boy's eyes blinked then slowly opened. He squinted at Dan in confusion for a moment. "Where. . ."

Dan shook his head at his son. "The doctors said that you should rest your voice," Dan gently said, shocked that Lucas had his hand on his. Luke had spent months ducking any physical touch from his father. Dan had tried everything from fist bumping to back whacking, to no avail. His son vehemently recoiled from every gesture that Dan attempted. "How do you feel?" Dan softly asked.

Lucas attempted to shift his weight on the bed, testing his muscles while he thought of an answer. His head was pounding and everything hurt. "Sore," he rasped out. His throat and nose especially felt raw.

Dan nodded at his assessment. "They had to put a NG tube down your nose so they could pump all the alcohol and pills out of your stomach," he informed his son.

Lucas actually looked sheepish at those words. "Not on purpose," he croaked out. Dan gave his hand a quick squeeze of support. "I know…but we are going to have to have a long talk when you get out of the hospital."

The younger boy tried to shake his head, but winced at the pain the movement caused. Dan leaned behind the bed and turned one of the room's lights off, which lowered the bright glare directly above Luke's head.

His son looked appreciatively at the older man and shifted to find a more comfortable position on the hard hospital bed. "S'okay. I won't do it again," he rasped in reply. Even in Luke's addled state, he knew that he was in deep trouble. Karen had forced him to go to some alcohol program for teens at the hospital for two months for just hearing that he'd been drinking. Luke knew the results of landing in the hospital due to drinking would be much more serious.

He looked up at Dan and saw something akin to deep concern etched on the older man's face. It was one of the few times in Luke's life that he saw something close to genuine emotion and involvement on his father's face.

Hearing those words, the same words that slipped out of Karen's parents after their drunken binges, Dan nodded absently at his oldest son. The cycle of hereditary weakness was so obvious to him. Nothing Karen had ever done with her parents had made them stop drinking. Dan feared that if they didn't do something drastic, Luke would spend the rest of his life lost in a gutter with a bottle of booze. He gently grabbed Luke's hand and held on to it, wanting to have some tangible link to his estranged son.

"We have to get you some help, Luke," Dan urgently began, making eye contact with his son. He knew the boy wasn't completely coherent, but he had to make an attempt to tell his son how much he needed him, how much he needed to repair the past. "We need to get you sober and off all those pills and then find a way to deal with all the pain you have. When I look in your eyes, I don't see an angry kid, I see a hurt little boy whom I created," Dan admitted to his son. Luke stared at him in confusion. There was a tone that he'd never associated with Dan before. A tone of repentance that he'd thought Dan Scott in capable of.

Dan leaned closer to his son. "I take full responsibility for the past. You didn't ask to be abandoned and I can't realistically expect that I can fix all that pain. But I need to find a way to help you," Dan pleaded, hoping that his son could comprehend what he was saying. Dan had wanted to tell the boy this for months, but the distance between them made such confessions nearly impossible. Luke was so openly hostile to Dan that he rarely found a moment to open up to his son and share his thoughts and feelings. It was interesting that Luke's walls and defensiveness mirrored Dan's tendencies to keep people away. For all Nathan's attitude and swagger, he was much more willing to let people in and to share his thoughts and feelings. Luke had definitely inherited his father's lack of openness.

Lucas blinked at his father's words, trying to comprehend why he was telling him this. Dan had never cared about him and now everything he did was just to make Karen happy. Yet, he couldn't place the earnest look on Dan's face or the way he searched Luke's face for some kind of reaction or emotion. Luke turned away to face the wall, unable to handle the intensity of Dan's inquisitive stare. He was having problems comprehending all the things that were going on around him. "Tired," he finally said, hoping that Dan would go away or at least be quiet for a few minutes. The truth was that he couldn't think of anything to say to his father. Dan was saying everything he'd ever wanted to hear and Luke felt completely numb.

Dan sat back in his seat, realizing that the moment was over. He'd said what he'd needed to say and that was a good first step, he thought. The boy was in no shape for a prolonged conversation in the dark. He watched as Lucas drifted off and then looked down at their intertwined hands. He surreptitiously looked around, making sure that they were alone, before looking down at their hands. He'd never noticed how similar their hands were. Long, strong fingers with wide palms. Hands that were made to hold and shoot a basketball. Sighing, Dan leaned forward and brought his free hand up to brush a few errant strands of blond hair from his son's forehead.

"I love you, and I don't want to lose you," he softly said, cupping the boy's forehead with his hand. He knew that Lucas had drifted off and his words were lost, but he still felt the need to say them. Dan had wanted to tell his son that he loved him since he was a child, but the moment was never there. And Lucas had grown so hostile to Dan that telling him seemed like a losing battle. The boy would probably laugh at him and scoff at Dan's feelings. It made him vulnerable and Dan didn't like having his feelings placed in the hands of his reluctant son.

But the thought of losing his son reframed Dan's thoughts about Luke. He needed to tell his son before it was too late. Before the boy drank himself into a grave or left for college. Either way, time was short. He'd never get a better chance to admit that he loved his son. Hearing a soft sigh from Luke, Dan slowly released his face and sank back into his chair.

Lucas kept his eyes closed, hoping that his father would assume he was sleeping. He slowly exhaled, fighting the urge to look over at Dan to see if he was watching him sleep. Instead, he relaxed into the bed and replayed the words his father just said to him. It made Lucas uneasy being around this version of Dan. He could deal with the bombastic salesman and pushy sports dad, but this …tender version freaked Lucas out.

Luke had been under the assumption that everything that Dan was doing was to ingratiate himself back into Karen's life. The idea that the man truly had feelings for him was more than Lucas could handle right now. It muddied the waters on what he thought was a black and white situation. So much of his childhood was lost, blown to bits by bitter indifference. Was it possible to regain something with his distant father? Or was it all just an act to placate his mother. Sighing, Luke shook all those thoughts out of his head. His body ached and his mind was too tired to process all this information. He needed time to get better and then get distance from his father in order to process what the man had confessed this night. Only with time and distance could Lucas start to dissect what was said tonight.

.

.

.

* * *

Knocking lightly on the door, Keith motion Dan toward the deserted hallway. Anna smiled at her brother in law and handed him a large cup of coffee. "This might taste a bit better than the hospital coffee," she added, noting the lines of concern wrinkling his forehead.

Dan took the cup gratefully, having had his fill of the tepid liquid the hospital tried to pass off as coffee. "I appreciate you both stopping by to see Luke," he cautiously began, knowing that his brother always grew terrorital over the subject of Lucas.

Keith's eyes narrowed at his brother's words. "I think you know that I'm always going to be here for Luke," he said, carefully letting an aggravated tone slip out. Keith was pleased that Dan was making an attempt to be part of his son's life but six months of attention was not what Keith would call total dedication.

Anna sensed the direction this conversation was going and put a gentle hand on her husband's chest. "We're all concerned about Luke, Dan. We want you to know that we'll do anything to help out during this trying time." Her words had the magically affect she wanted, and both Dan and Keith took a step back and dropped their shoulders for a moment. "It really is all about Luke," she carefully added.

"Not really," Dan added, watching as Anna and Keith turned to stare at him. "I asked you both to stop by because I wanted to talk about Brooke." He watched as their eyes moved toward the door, absolutely sure that where Luke was, Brooke was not too far behind.

Dan shifted uneasily for a moment. He and Karen had discussed what to do with Lucas, but Brooke's unhappiness seriously concerned him. "She was absolutely sober when they brought Luke in. In fact, the doctor said that had she not called 911, he'd probably have overdosed." Dan let those words sink in for a moment, touched at the look of concern on Anna's face. She definitely had a great maternal instinct.

"While Karen may think she's the anti-Christ, I think something is really wrong in her house," Dan admitted, knowing that it was past time he took action in this matter. "She's spent most of this year staying in my guest room and when she's not staying there, she's usually sneaking into Luke's room. Haley mentioned that she's stayed with her a few times, so it's obvious that she's avoiding that house."

Anna raised an eyebrow at her brother-in-law, shocked that he'd done so much research on the subject of Brooke Davis. Deciding that he seemed genuinely worried for the girl, Anna decided to share her own concerns. "She's not eating much of anything and when she does mention home, you can tell she's terrified of the place."

Dan leaned back against the wall for a moment, contemplating the possibilities. "It has to be the step-father. She's always at our house when he's in town and she avoids events at the club when she knows her mom and step-father will be there," he said, mapping out the complex relationships of the country club set in Tree Hill.

"Or it could be the step-brother," Anna injected. "She tends to change the subject every time he is mentioned."

Dan ran a massive hand over his eyes, trying to get some mental clarity. "I had this idea that I would simply move Brooke into my house. She stays there all the time and then we'd know she was getting meals and had a safe place to sleep," he concluded. "However, I'm going to have to move Lucas and Karen into one home so I can take care of them. I can't do this split house thing any longer. It's not good for me and it's definitely not good for Karen and the baby."

Keith looked over at Anna in surprise. It wasn't like Dan Scott to go to great lengths to help another person out, especially if there wasn't something in it for him.

Ignoring his brother's skepticism, Dan looked over at his sister in law and brother. "I was hoping that you two could take Brooke in. We know she can't live under the same roof as Karen and yet she's really seems to like Anna."

Sighing, Keith thought about the idea for a moment. He was newly married with a wife and baby. Their new house was being renovated in spurts, as money and time allowed. The last thing he needed was a troubled teen in his barely finished guest room.

"Of course we'll take her in," Anna firmly replied, reaching out for Keith's hand. She knew they had a lot of commitments between work and family, but she'd never refuse a person in need. "I'll talk to her later today and set things up." Having spent a life time moving from place to place, Anna appreciated that a safe haven could work miracles for a person in trouble.

Smiling, Dan spontaneously reached and hugged her, surprising everyone in the hallway. He wasn't a man prone to public displays of emotion but knowing that he was about to drop a bomb on Lucas, he wanted to mitigate it by taking care of his girlfriend.

Keith frowned at his brother's actions, knowing a Dan Scott preemptive strike when he saw one. He was never one to give without taking something away. "Are you sending Luke back to counseling?" he asked, concerned about his nephew's condition.

Dan cautiously moved them down the hall slightly from Luke's room. "Karen and I have discussed it and we'll probably do something more drastic than counseling," he admitted, not wanting to show his hand before firm plans were made. Keith always tended to get involved in things that were none of his business.

"What's more serious than intense counseling?" Keith questioned, getting a really bad feeling about this. Dan was simultaneously edgy and evasive. Anna turned toward him and raised an eyebrow.

"Take a look in that room, Keith. That boy is barely alive because he's got a problem with alcohol. Are you going to sit around and watch him kill himself like Karen's parents?" Dan was getting irritated. He hadn't slept in day and half and the last thing he wanted was a fight with his brother.

Keith's eyes narrowed. "What aren't you saying, Dan?"

Dan shifted uneasily under his brother's penetrating stare. "We are considering a treatment program," he hedged, still unwilling to share what he and Karen discussed. "Chris gave me the name of a guy who specializes in these kinds of programs."

"They have programs like that in Tree Hill?" Anna curiously asked, realizing what the source of Dan's discomfort might be.

"We're discussing the best treatment for Luke before this situation escalates and we'll let everyone know when we have a decision," Dan decisively said, cutting off further conversation by walking off toward Luke's room.

.

.

.

* * *

The incessant beeping noise broke through Brooke's restless sleep. She rolled over on the miserable chair bed thing and silently cursed hospital furniture. There was a crick in her back that would probably take her masseuse a month to work out. She looked over at Lucas and was shocked to see him staring back at her.

Rushing to his side, she tenderly brushed a hand across his check, relishing the feel of his skin on hers. "Hey Broody," she whispered, grateful that he was still alive.

"Hey, Pretty Girl," he croaked out, grimacing as he tried to sit up in order to get closer to her. She motioned for him to lean back and then gingerly crawled into bed, cautiously minding the wires and tubes that were connected to him.

Hearing a sniffle, Lucas looked down and saw tears coursing down her face. "What's wrong?" he asked, confused by the sadness he saw in her eyes. Of course, he was pretty sure that there was some kind of drug in the IV connected to his since he was having trouble staying awake.

"I called the ambulance," she admitted, knowing that it was always a mistake to involve adults in your problems. "Now your parents are going to be all over you." She could only image the aneurism that Karen was having.

He frowned at the truth in her words. Dan was already camped out at his bedside and he was shocked that his mother wasn't there, as well. "Dan was talking up a storm earlier," he revealed, not going into details about what his father confessed. It would take Luke months to figure out Dan's actions.

Looking down at her, he gave her the best hug his limited mobility would allow. "I know you did what you had to do," he sleepily replied, his voice raspy and low. "It was a stupid way to avoid reality."

Brooke's heart clenched, knowing that her relief would trump her anger for the time being. She was emotionally numb and physically exhausted. She was desperate for solitude yet she was trapped in a chaotic ICU ward in a hospital because of his actions. But Lucas was alive, and for tonight she'd be grateful instead of incensed. "I need you, Lucas," she quietly said. "But I can't go forward with plans until I know that you can handle the stress."

His heart clenched at the fear he saw on her face. He'd screwed up so much lately that he didn't blame her for questioning him. All he wanted to do was love her as much as she loved him. He knew that he couldn't count on anyone else but Brooke and he didn't want to ruin what they had. "I'll be better, Cheery."

She watched as his eyes slowly dropped and knew he was falling asleep. "I hope so," she replied to no one, snuggling into his body. She felt safer being next to him, and that always meant she'd be able to sleep this night. But she had a nagging feeling that this was the calm before the storm. It remained to be seen what the day after the storm would reveal.

.

.

.

* * *

Anna followed Dan down the hall way, wanting to check in on her nephew before she headed home. She nearly plowed into Dan's back as he suddenly stopped in the door way to his son's room. Anna leaned around Dan's massive shoulders and paused, seeing Brooke curled up next to Lucas in a tiny hospital bed.

"I hope your decision to help Lucas doesn't rip them apart," she casually mentioned, realizing that Dan's options in Tree Hill were limited. "They need each other."

He looked at his son and then down at his sister-in-law. "They are extremely co-dependant, which might explain the cycle of teen angst that Lucas seems to be caught up in."

Anna heard Karen's influence in Dan's words. She couldn't blame the man, he'd been through hell the past day and she could read the fear that was carefully hidden behind the mask he tended to wear. "It doesn't mean that they aren't invested in each other," she quietly said. "It doesn't mean that they can't figure out a better way to cope."

He nodded absently at her words, before sinking into the chair beside his son's bed. Dan just needed time to make sure that both kids were safe.

.

.

.

* * *

Again, sorry for the delay. No excuses but I've had two relatives with heart procedures and a brother in law who was deployed overseas, leaving me with a lot of family obligations.

I'll try to be better about updating. I want to finish this story and give it the ending it deserves, even if OTH is long retired in moth balls. Thanks for reading. I appreciate the patient. It's always interesting to see if people are still interested.

Next up, two weeks later, we'll see what Brooke has to say to Lucas and what Dan and Karen have been planning.


	76. Chapter 76Repost

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 76

* * *

_Through the storm, we reach the shore_

_You gave it all but I want more  
And I'm waiting for you  
With or without you_

Dan handed Karen a cup of tea and a plate of crackers. She was propped up in his bed, on mandatory bed rest from her team of doctors. Lucas' hospital stay had pushed her over the edge and her pre-eclampsia was a growing concern for the pregnancy.

She smiled at him as she sipped her tea. Dan had really been a revelation to her over the past few months. He had supported her in ways that she didn't know she needed supporting. Dan crawled into bed next to her and stared at her for a moment, before raising an eyebrow at her. "What?" he quizzically asked.

"I was just thinking about how good you are treating me," Karen softly replied, reaching out to grab his hand. She held it for a moment, thinking how safe she felt being with him. Everything in her life was falling apart at record speed, but she finally felt complete being back with her childhood sweetheart.

He smiled down at her, happy to hear such simple words. "I'm trying really hard to take care of you," he admitted, knowing that he had so much more to do regarding their son. "Have you thought about the house issue?"

Groaning, she rolled her eyes at the ceiling. "Between the baby, our businesses, and our sons, you want to go out and try to find a house?" She couldn't wrap her mind around the idea of buying a house, letting alone picking up her life and moving it across town.

He considered her words for a moment. When they picked Luke up at the hospital, they told him that he was going back to Dan's house. Karen was staying with Dan so he could monitor her health issues and there was no way he could stay at Karen's house alone. Luke's reaction had been muted. Dan was shocked that he didn't throw a fit. Apparently, nearly dying had given his son a better perspective about the situation.

For now, Lucas was safely tucked in a guest room down the hall from Dan. He felt that it would be harder for the boy to sneak out of the house. While the boy had been fairly low key, Dan expected his surliness to return once Luke regained his strength.

"The problem with buying a house is that we'll then own three houses in the same county," she pointed out. "We don't have time to go house hunting and move before the baby comes."

"Well, your house is too small, the beach house is a bit of a drive for all of us, and that leaves this house," Dan replied, knowing that logic dictated that they stay in his current house. "You can redecorate and try to make it feel more like your home," he suggested.

Nodding, she realized that was the best idea. "I don't need to redecorate. Deb did an awesome job with the house. And I really don't want to change anything that might upset Nathan."

Dan reached out and touched her check, happy that she always thought about other people before herself. "We'll work it out. We can let Luke pick out a room and then focus on decorating the other room for the nursery." His house had four bedrooms upstairs which was more than enough room for two teenage boys and a baby.

She smiled at him for a moment before tearing up. "For as long as we have Lucas here," she reminded him. "We need to talk about this," she said, knowing that they had put off the issue for two days. Neither of them wanted to entertain the idea of sending Lucas away, but his behavior had gone from sulky to dangerous in less than two months.

Dan sighed and turned to face her. "I know what the specialist we talked to said, but I feel like sending him to a boot camp is the easy way out. It's like we're shipping him off to let someone else deal with his problems. If you follow the logic, you should probably send me along with him, since most of this is my fault."

They'd called an educational consultant who specialized in teens with substance abuse problems. Ms. McDowell had explained their options and discussed how a boot camp could help Luke dry out from the booze and drugs, while working on his issues about his family with trained counselors.

Karen frowned at his words. "I don't think it's a sign of failure. I think it's more that we realize that we can't help Lucas. There are no treatment programs in Tree Hill and so we have to send him some place. The program's success rate is very high," she conceded, still shocked that she was considering taking her son to a wilderness program in Oregon.

The goal was to isolate the child from problem influences and help wean them off the substances they'd been abusing. The program was twelve weeks long, most of which was spent trekking through the countryside. Karen figured that they wanted to break down the oppositional nature of the kids and help them find better ways of communicating. The idea that Brooke would be no where in sight was an added bonus.

Dan shrugged at her words, knowing that they offered hollow reassurance. He felt like a failure and this program basically reconfirmed that. "I don't know what else to do, but I'm not sure this is going to do much for Lucas, other than deny him access to alcohol. Keith told me that he loves camping so he might actually enjoy a twelve week vacation away from us."

"He does love being outdoors, but it's winter time so that might give him time to think about why he's camping in such harsh conditions," Karen softly replied. She was concerned that the camp focused on breaking down the kids and building them back up.

She would have preferred an intensive counseling atmosphere, but the program promised that counseling was at the heart of the program.

Dan thought about the glossy brochure they'd been given for a moment. He hated it when he knew he was right and people tried to break his will. He could only image how badly Luke was going to take this, even if it saved his life along the way. Dan was terrified that Lucas was heading toward disaster. It wasn't a matter of two immovable Scott's arguing any more. Luke was in bad shape and desperately needed time to get sober and work things out. "I don't mind the camp but I'm not on board with sending him to a special school afterwards," he firmly stated.

There was no reason that Luke couldn't come back home and work on getting some credits toward graduation for the rest of the year. At some point Luke was going to have to take summer classes to make up for the classes he'd failed this semester. And it was inevitable with three weeks left in the semester that Luke was failing some of his classes.

Dan didn't worry about his son being held back a year. Luke was so smart that he could easily make up lost ground. He just needed to get back on track. Dan didn't think he needed to go to a special school for more work.

Karen sighed at the situation they were in, knowing that there were no good answers to their problems. She didn't want to send Luke away before the holidays and their fast approaching wedding. "Chris sent his son to this camp a few years ago. He swears it helped his son get to the point where he could accept the counseling that the school offered," she pointed out.

Dan shrugged, having talked to his friend a few days early about their son's problems. After a brief struggle, he'd been clean and sober for years. It had taken time to repair his relationship with his parents, but it had been done over the years. "I think this last incident scared Luke and that he knows he's got a problem now," Dan said, as he reached out and pulled her closer to him. "That's half the battle."

A sharp shrill noise from his phone forced Dan to pull away from Karen, disrupting their afternoon break. "That's the text from Nate. We're ready to move," he said, getting up and heading for the door.

Karen frowned for a moment before giving him a smile. "Be careful. And don't take any risks," she said, as she watched his form disappear down the hall."

* * *

Brook leaned back against the bed, taking in her new home. While she wasn't a big fan of the neutral colors, she was a huge fan of Keith and Anna. She was stunned that they'd agreed to let her stay with them while her mother was out of the country. She knew that Katherine would throw a fit as soon as she got home, but she'd deal with that later. She was safe for now, with a clean, pretty room all her own.

Anna's house wasn't as large or fancy as Brooke's but it had a coziness that made it feel like a home. More importantly, she felt like she could let down her guard. She felt safe in this renovated Victorian home.

Lucas walked in, carrying a tray of snacks. Setting them down on the dresser, he looked at the empty closet. "You're going to have trouble fitting all your clothes into that small closet," he noted, looking critically at the small space. Her closet at home was more of a separate room, rivaling the size of Luke's bedroom.

"My clothes are supposed to fit in there?" she laconically replied, being able to laugh at her reputation as a clothes horse. "I originally thought that was just a shoe closet."

Brooke and Lucas were at Anna and Keith's, babysitting while Dan, Nathan, Keith and Anna went to retrieve Brooke's things. There was a consensus that Luke not go, as the situation was already tense. Dan didn't know what to expect, but he emphasized Luke's health as a reason for him not to go. While they had Brooke's key to the house, they didn't know who they would run into while grabbing her things. Brooke had given them a short list: her laptop, cosmetics, lingerie and as much of her shoes and clothes as they could grab. She didn't want anything else from that place. She could live without all of it, but she had big plans for the things they could retrieve.

She looked over at her boyfriend in concern, as he leaned against the wall for support. Luke had only been out of the hospital for two days. He didn't feel like another confrontation with anyone right now, let alone Brooke's family.

Brooke perched uneasily on the side of the bed. "I needed to downsize the closet anyway. I'm going to sell a lot of the stuff once I get settled."

He looked at her curiously. Lucas never understood shopping. Brooke was always brining bags of stuff home from the expensive boutiques in town, but he never saw anything leave her closet. "Why are you selling it?" he asked.

She sighed in exasperation at his denseness. "You do remember the plan, right?" she waited for his small nod before continuing. "We have to start saving money. We need every penny we can get. My purses and shoes alone cost a fortune. There's a huge market for used designer goods." With all the wannabe fashionistas in Tree Hill, Brooke knew last season's stuff would get a great price.

Brooke had approached the skeevy pawn shop manager about the untapped Tree Hill market for designer goods. Her nose wrinkled in disgust at the guy's fashion ignorance. She'd shown him what her purses were selling for on Ebay and suggested that he give her counter space for her castoffs. Brooke mentally calculated the potential profits and smiled like a Cheshire cat. She was banking all her allowances and money from her father. She was carefully withdrawing as much money as she was allowed each day from her credit cards. She had requested cash for the upcoming Christmas holidays. Her family was so uninterested in shopping for her that they'd probably already written a check. It's not like anyone would stop and consider why a girl who had everything would ask for cash.

Sensing the distance between them, he moved across the room and sat next to her on the bed. "I hate that you have to sell your stuff and that my contribution is so small." He had been forbidden to work with his Uncle because of his grades. Luke thought that his mother didn't trust anyone to spy on him at a level that satisfied her paranoia. He admitted that the free time did help him study more.

"I'm draining my small savings account and saving all the "allowance" money that Dan gives me," Luke offered. It's not like he wanted to touch any of Dan's money, but he was in so much trouble since his drinking binge that he didn't want to start any arguments over silly things like money. Luke would gladly take it to further their goals.

She nodded at him, but didn't offer any other comment in typical Brooke Davis fashion. He'd barely seen her since the hospital. His mother was omnipresent and Brooke had wisely stayed away from her. Dan and Karen had insisted that Luke stay at Dan's house, so that the entire family could be under one roof. While it infuriated Lucas, he knew that it didn't matter what happened in the next few weeks. He could stand sleeping in the guest room for the short term.

"Do you want to tell me why you are mad at?" he quietly asked, knowing when she was not acting normal.

Brooke looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. "I prefer to yell at healthy people," she conceded, shocked that was actually taking time to really read her body language. Lucas had been a bit self obsessed lately.

He gently took her small hand into his before answering. "The doctor released me into my mother's care. He obviously feels I'm healthy enough for combat," he quipped, relieved to see a smile at his feeble attempt at humor. "What did I do?" he asked.

Sighing, Brooke realized that she needed to say some things before the big day, in case they imploded before then. She'd always put up with so much disrespect in past friendships and relationships. She was always afraid that if she demanded something of someone else, or had standards for a relationship, that person would leave. It explained why she'd put up with Peyton's shit for so long and why she'd never had expectations with past boyfriends. But Brooke was tired of being accommodating. She was sick of compromising herself away.

"I'm disappointed in you," she slowly started, knowing that he had already been nagged to death by Karen. "I can't make plans for the future if I can't count on you today."

He stared at the floor, unable to meet her steady gaze. "I know it put you in a bad position with my parents…" She abruptly stood up and cut him off.

"You don't get it. I'm not upset about the hospital," she quietly said. "It's that you were drinking at the lowest point of my life. I was terrified, battered and emotionally traumatized. All I wanted was to be comforted by my boyfriend but you were too drunk to take care of me," she accused, finally expressing some of the grief from that night. She was still crying herself to sleep and waking up with nightmares.

"I needed you to take care me and I ended up taking care of you. You weren't there for me when I needed you," she slowly confessed. Brooke was disappointed in Luke's reaction to her crisis. She was prepared to completely alter her life with this man and she couldn't do that if he fell apart on a regular basis.

Luke's heart clenched at her words describing his inadequacy. He'd failed her when all he wanted to do was help her. "I felt so bad about not protecting you that night when…" his voice trailed off.

"The night I was raped," Brooke finished, saying the word he couldn't say. It some how made her feel stronger to articulate what happened to her. It was beginning to be a word and not a label. She still wasn't happy about everyone knowing but at least she could say the word.

Lucas shifted around uncomfortably, not sure how to deal with the situation. "I should have protected you that night."

Brooke ran a hand through her dark hair in frustration. "You didn't know me back then, Luke. You sure as hell didn't know me well enough to want to protect me. I didn't need you back then but I needed you two nights ago. And you weren't there for me," she softly stated, knowing that he had to hear the truth.

She watched as his shoulder's sagged a moment, before continuing. She had to get this out so that they could crash and burn or move forward. "I needed you to take care of me and barring that, I needed to take care of myself. But what little energy I had left that night I spent making sure you didn't die in front of me."

A tear ran down his cheek, as her words hit him with a force he only associated with Dan Scott. It hurt so much because he realized she spoke the truth. He was wallowing in his own pain at the expense of being an equal partner to his girlfriend. Lucas walked slowly across the room and gently took her hand, drawing her into an embrace. He hugged her for a moment before pulling back to look her in the eye. "I swear to you that I'm done drinking," he firmly stated, making sure his voice was as strong as he could make it. "I promise right now that I will stop being so selfish and I'll do whatever it takes to make the plan a success."

She sniffled for a moment before hugging him back. She didn't want to lose him, couldn't lose him. Lucas was the center of her universe and she needed him at full strength.

Pulling back, Brooke gave him a smile that lit up her dimples. "Then we're set. We'll make last minute plans, liquidate all the money we can, and move forward." He gently moved a piece of her hair away from her lovely face and smiled down at her. "It's going to be a very Merry Christmas in Tree Hill."

* * *

Dan shoved a huge stack of clothes in the back of his SUV and took a moment to lean against the vehicle to catch his breath. He didn't know what Brooke's parents spent on clothes a month, but it suddenly made him very happy that he had sons and not daughters.

They'd used Brooke's key to enter the house and so far, no one had approached them or asked them what they were doing. There was no sign of Brooke's step-father at all. Keith bumbled out the front door and tossed an armful of clothes in his car. "I wouldn't have signed up for this if I knew she had a closet the size of my living room," he muttered, joining his brother for a short rest.

Dan laughed for a moment, taking in the easy companionship he seemed to have found with his brother. Outside of disputes centering around Luke, they were more in synch than any time Dan could remember. "I thought we were picking up some things for her," Dan replied, thinking that Anna had deliberately underplayed how much stuff Brooke had in her room.

They walked back into the house and up the cold staircase to finish their mission. Nathan was placing smaller items in a box and directing Anna around the room to things he knew Brooke would want. Anna watched as the two men walked through the double doors. "That's the last of her clothes and shoes. We've got her jewelry and laptop, so I think we can leave now," she decided.

The group quietly headed down the stairs, taking the last of the boxes with them. They were nearly out of the house when a well dressed man stepped into the foyer. "What are you doing," Trey demanded, taking in the scraggly group of people making their way down his staircase.

Anna smiled at the man and moved in front of Nathan to confront him. "We're taking some of Brooke's things to my house," she informed the man, instantly taking a dislike to his imperious manner. "She needs a break from this house and will be staying with my husband and I for a while."

Trey's eyes instantly narrowed and his demeanor became belligerent. "Brooke is not really any of your concern and I'm sure the local police would agree with me."

Feeling protective of his sister-in-law, Dan moved over toward the pair as he motioned for Nate and Keith to take their boxes out of the house. Trey smiled at Dan and shook his hand. "I missed you on the golf course today," he jovially greeted the man.

Dan gave the man a tight smile. "I was busy helping to get Brooke settled," he revealed, taking pleasure in the surprise he saw on Trey's face.

"You are involved in this custodial interference?" Trey asked, surprised at how inbred most of Tree Hill's population was.

Dan pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and pulled out a business card. "This is Judge Parker's private number. Give him a call and tell him what is going on. I can promise you that no one in Tree Hill is going to question my judgment when I say that Brooke is in danger," Dan coldly stated, making sure that his intent was clear. "But then that would result in an official investigation and of course, that wouldn't reflect well on the Davis family name."

He knew he had the man in a vice grip. Pretentious people like Trey never wanted undue attention into the private lives they led. And based on the man's reaction, Dan had to assume there was something going on that he didn't want people to know about.

"Tell Katherine to call me when she gets back to town," Dan tossed over his shoulder as he herded Anna out of the monstrosity of a house. "I'm sure she'll be willing to discuss the Brooke situation with me."

* * *

Okay, that was a 16 page update. And I updated fairly quickly, so between the length and the quick update, I should get many Scooby snacks thrown my direction.

I can't believe that after all these years the story is coming to an end. I don't know how many chapters are left, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel for all those still reading.

I'm kind of giddy about knowing the story will be finished. There's a lot going on in this chapter, so I'd love to know what you think or feel. Besides the Karen hate, which I know you all feel deeply. So, replies are appreciated. It helps to know what people think after you've written such a long update.

As a note to those who sent PMs, I started writing this story at the end of season 1 (yes, I know. It has to be the oldest OTH fic out there). So, Brooke's mom didn't have a name. I invented Katherine and didn't want to change it to Victoria when the character was introduced. So there you go. I'm not dense, I'm just being consistent with my faux OTH world.

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend~


	77. Chapter 77

Author's note: I would like to thank the two people who replied to the last chapter. Three, if I count the person who posted to ask me to post more chapters. I thought maybe with the show being over it might effect the interest level in the story. Until I realized that the story received over 450 hits for the last chapter. I'm not really good at math so I'm not sure what the percentage of reads per replies per hit comes down to, but it's really small. I can't tell if people are reading and disliking or what. It's hard to try to finish the story when I can't figure out if anyone is on board with what's going happening in the chapters. My goal is to finish the story without having chapter 78 consist of "and a horrible meteor wiped out the entire town of Tree Hill. The end".

So...with that said, I would appreciate any feedback you have. Including "please post more chapters". Though of course, being the greedy feedback wench that I am, I would love something more in depth.

Thanks for reading. My snarky commentary is over.

* * *

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 77

The chatter around the house was nearly infectious, Karen thought, taking in the sight of her son and his friends around Dan's seldom used formal dining room table. The end of the semester had finally motivated Brooke and Lucas into studying and they'd enlisted Haley's help to help them salvage what Karen could only assume was a disaster of a semester. She didn't know how many classes Lucas was going to fail, but she could only assume that he'd need to either make up classes while he was away or in summer school.

Dan walked in from the living room and watched Karen watch their son. He could tell that she desperately wanted to reconnect with Lucas, but the while the boy had managed to be respectful while in Dan's house he wasn't particularly happy about the close association with his family. Karen had initially hoped that just being together in the same house would bring them all together, but Dan was always the realist in their relationship. And he knew that hell would freeze over before Lucas gave up his righteous indignation about parents. But the boy had been much calmer in the weeks since the accident. He was more focused and seemed to be doing a lot more homework.

He gently wrapped his arms around Karen's distended waistline. "Let's get out of here and go get the hoard some food," he suggested, worried that Karen had spent way too much time in the house. While the doctor's had ordered her to rest, Dan feared she was going to go crazy stuck in the house all day.

"Guys, we're going to get food. We should be back in while," she called out to the group, getting a mixed reply of grunts in response. He briefly worried about leaving Lucas and Brooke alone in the house before remembering that Haley was an excellent influence on both of them and they'd be lucky to get away from studying to eat.

They continued studying for a while, only interrupted by Nate's cell phone. He slammed the phone down on the table and got up, reaching for his keys. "That's Tim. His car broke down over on River Road." It was just like Tim to call Nate for help.

Haley glanced over at Brooke, who was buried in her English paper. "Brooke, do you mind if I ride with Nate?" she asked, not wanting to abandon her friend after offering to help her study. She felt like she never had enough alone time with Nathan. Between helping Karen with impromptu wedding and working at the Café, she was lucky to see her boyfriend at all.

Looking up, Brooke smiled at Haley, knowing her friend was loyal to a fault. "I have another hour of work on the last edits you made," she noted. "Feel free to leave. I may be finished by the time you all get back."

Nate looked over at the clock. "We should be back in 30 minutes." Lucas nodded at his brother and Haley as they headed out the back door toward Nate's SUV. He looked over at Brooke and smiled. "All alone," he murmured, shocked that they finally had some space. His parents had been smothering him to the point where it was hard to breath. They were never left alone, between Dan and Karen and Anna and Keith's watchful eyes.

"All alone with tons of homework," she sarcastically replied, hating that they had to actually pretend to care about school work. While things were much better with her staying with Anna and Keith, she still had bigger plans to worry about.

They were interrupted by the shrill sound of Karen's cell phone.

"Your mom must have forgotten her phone," Brooke said as she meandered over to the counter and took a look at the incoming phone number, concerned that they were being checked up on by his mom. Her brow crinkled up, reading the text message that flashed across the screen. Fighting down the panic that was spreading through her body, Brooke began flipping through the iPhone's stored text messages, reading as fast as she could.

Lucas leaned back in his chair and took in his girlfriend's frantic movements. "Maybe you shouldn't be going through someone else's phone," he slowly suggested, uneasy at the privacy invasion. Maybe it was a girl thing to read other people's stuff, he wondered.

"Maybe some people should learn to lock their phones," she replied, knowing that in her family this was how she found out what was going on.

Frowning, she started scanning through Karen's contacts list. "Google this phone number," she demanded, tossing the number out to him. She didn't recognize it as being any of the local phone codes. Her concern was growing with each text message she read.

Luke pulled his MacBook Pro over from the center of the table. Another of Daddy Dan's welcome to the family gifts he'd been plied with since his release from the hospital. "It's the phone number for a wilderness program in Oregon," he replied taking a few minutes to read the website connected to that phone number. Brooke leaned over his shoulder and read the information on the screen.

"Oh no," Luke softly replied. Brooke took a breath to calm herself before replying. "Oh yes. We knew Dan and Karen were much too calm about your hospital stint," she reminded. They wondered when Luke would get punished for his binge, but Brooke was still shocked that Dan and Karen were willing to go this far.

Lucas sat back in his chair, his shoulders slumped in defeat. He knew that his behavior had not been the greatest, but he didn't think it was so bad that his mom would want to get rid of him.

"How bad can it be?" he shakily replied. "So it's extreme camping and deprivation. I've been going without all my life." Plus, he really enjoyed camping. He and Keith spent weeks out in the woods, foraging from the land. "So, I'll spend a couple of weeks outdoors and I'll come back and we'll be fine."

Brooke vehemently shook her head. "It's not a couple of weeks, it's more like a couple of months, and they don't always let you come home."

He looked at her quizzically. "You seem to know a lot about this."

She nodded at him absently, still trying to glean as much information as she could from the website. "I had a cousin that was sent to one of those a few years ago. It was a great scandal at the time. He was hauled out of bed in the middle of the night by two strangers who were hired to drag him to one of these camps."

"They hired people to escort him to the place?" Luke incredulously asked. "His parents couldn't be bothered to take him?" He was now seriously concerned for his safety, not knowing what depths his parents might sink to.

"The worst part is that after the camp, they decided he needed more work and sent him to some residential school in the middle of no where."

Lucas forced himself to stop looking toward Dan's liquor cabinet. He was surprised that they hadn't stripped Dan's house of all booze before he was released from the hospital. "What did those texts on my mom's phone say?"

"She's talking with some lady who is trying to find the right "fit" for you, and discussing the need for a school, as well," Brooke revealed. "Leave it to your mom to send you away before we enact our plan." The irony was nearly beautiful to Brooke. She'd managed to sober Broody up with a few words where as Karen needed "professional" help.

Lucas reached out and grabbed her hand for support. "We need to find out when they plan on sending me away," he said, realizing that this game of cat and mouse could only go on for so long.

Brooke frowned in concentration a moment, before pulling Lucas out of his chair. She headed for Dan's office, all too familiar with parental reconnaissance. "We've got a few minutes before everyone gets back. We just need to find your folder."

He looked at her in confusion as she moved around the massive cherry wood desk. "What folder?" he asked, watching as she carefully opened the file cabinet in Dan's office. She efficiently flipped through two drawers before exclaiming "never underestimate the power of a sneaky woman!".

She pulled out a folder with a typed label that read 'Lucas E. Scott'. "Right after Nathan's," she triumphantly informed him. "Every well organized parent has a folder on each kid."

Lucas stared at the thick manila folder in confusion. "That's a lot of data for the short time Dan has been my dad," he coldly replied, never pleased when he found proof of Dan's involvement with his life.

Carefully flipping through the file, Brooke noticed there were a lot of documents that pre-dated the time Dan had been involved with Luke. She ignored those documents, knowing their mission had one goal and that was the date they planned on sending him away. From the text messages she'd read, Brooke realized that a contract had been sent to Dan and Karen, which means there had to be proof some where.

She saw the program's seal on the top of the letterhead. "Here it is," she said, pulling the paper out so that they could both inspect it.

Seeing the date, Lucas fell back into Dan's black office chair in shock. "January 2nd. They plan on getting rid of me right after they get married," he realized, feeling worse about his new family more than ever. His mind focused on that as Brooke inspected the document for any other clues about the parental blindside.

He distractedly flipped through the rest of the file, feeling numb to see so much of his life in that folder. Dan had a copy of his birth certificate, birth announcement, and some old school records. He had no idea where Dan had gotten this information but it creeped Luke out. Seeing an official looking document, Luke pulled it out and to read what it pertained to. He scanned what appeared to be an official court motion.

Brooke dropped the paper she was reading when she noticed that Luke's complexion had turned absolutely ashen. "What's wrong?" she asked, knowing by his reaction that Luke had found something serious. She could see the fear in his eyes and the way his shoulders had tensed up, as if he were getting ready to ward off a vicious blow.

Luke slowly looked away from the paper held by shaking hands. "It's a sixteen year old court motion seeking joint custody of me."

* * *

Karen and Dan entered the house laddered with cartons of Chinese Food. After eating bland food due to Karen's condition, she felt like rewarding the kids with something tasty. Finding the TV room empty, they followed the voices to Dan's seldom used formal dining room table, shocked to find all four kids studying.

Karen looked at Dan in surprise, not really expecting Lucas and Brooke to actually be studying, even though that was the purported reason for Brooke and Haley to be invited for dinner.

Haley was proof reading an essay for Brooke, who was actually taking notes of her suggestions. Nathan was buried in his history book, while Lucas dutifully appeared to be working on his calculus.

"Time to eat," Dan hesitantly called out, not wanting to distract from all that studying. Haley looked up for a second and motioned Dan over. "Just leave it on the table, they can graze while working," she instructed the adults, totally used to being a study group dictator. Dan did what she said, a little in awe of Haley's ability to simultaneously motivate Nathan and Lucas, while controlling Brooke's talkative nature. He felt rather than saw Luke's cold gaze on him, and turned to look at his oldest son in a questioning manner. Lucas met his eyes for a brief moment and for a rare instance, Dan didn't see unconditional hatred in them.

Lucas shifted his eyes back to his paper, unnerved by his father's presence. It was one thing to hate a man who wished he'd never been born, but he didn't know what to do with a father who tried to get custody and failed. Karen, who was placing a pile of plates and eating utensils on the table, noted Luke's pale complexion.

Walking over to him, she gently touched his forehead, checking for any sign of illness. "You look sick, Lucas. Are you okay?" she quietly asked, never knowing what kind of reaction her motherly concern would garner.

"I'm fine," he evenly replied, catching a warning glance from Brooke, before turning his full attention toward his mother. "Just trying to catch up in math." He bitterly forced down all the accusations he wanted to throw in her face. But Brooke was right. He couldn't confront his mother because it would tip off that they'd been snooping in Dan's office. He swallowed the bile that was forcing its way up his throat and gave her his best tepid smile.

Dan noticed that Luke was making a small effort with his mother, so he moved over towards his oldest son, to join the family moment. "I was always good with math," he offered, pleased that Lucas actually looked at him without contempt.

"Are you any good in calculus?" Lucas curiously asked, for once genuinely interested in his answer. The bulk of his anger toward Dan was that his father had written him off at birth. Brooke had made a copy of as many of the legal documents as she could in the short time they had been alone in the house. They hadn't had time to study the documents before Nate and Haley returned home. His mind was screaming so many questions, but all he could vocalize was a stupid math question.

Dan sheepishly looked down at his son's homework, knowing that he was out of his depth. "Um, not really," he admitted, shocked when Lucas offered a "thanks anyway" instead of taking a stab at Dan's intellect. He slowly nodded at the boy, before walking toward the kitchen to get some bland food for Karen.

Watching the adults in the kitchen, Brooke leaned over and whispered, "Good job." She was impressed at the restraint Luke showed while interacting with Dan and Karen.

Nathan looked over at Lucas and then back to where his dad stood in the kitchen. "What's up with the Pod Luke routine?" he asked, picking up on the strange energy coming from his half brother. Nathan had tried his best to stay out of the tension between the adults and Lucas. He couldn't blame his father for being upset at Luke's stupid decisions. His brother had been making some bad mistakes and even Nathan could see that he needed to change his behavior.

Nathan wasn't sure about the living situation. Lucas had been very quiet and docile since moving into Dan's house. While things appeared calm on the surface, Nathan couldn't help but sense the turmoil that lurked under his brother's calm façade. Haley glanced over at the rest of the group, dismayed that they'd lost focus so soon. "Pod Luke is trying, Nathan. There are a lot of adjustments that everyone needs to make," she gently lectured, knowing that Luke was at least being more compliant. While things were going well between Nathan and Karen, Lucas was still struggling with the new living arrangements.

Dan sat in the kitchen, eating at the island with Karen, while surreptitiously staring at his prodigal son. "Does it feel like the world just shifted on its axis?" Dan softly asked Karen. He couldn't place his finger on the exact vibe that Lucas was giving him, but for once it wasn't outright hostility.

Karen considered his words, cautiously appraising her son. Luke and Brooke had barely spoken while they were studying. It was as if they knew Karen didn't approve and they were trying to be respectful. "The counselors said that after an extreme behavioral episode we can expect Lucas to behave better so as to avoid punishment." The counselors had explained that once a placement was made, teens tended to pick up on the change of energy in a house and react accordingly.

Dan ate a few more bites of food, considering her words. "I think he realizes how far things have gone and he's trying to do better."

Karen stared at her mashed potatoes for a moment, contemplating why her son couldn't have tried to do better before she'd been pushed to such extreme solutions. "He probably is trying harder, but the counselor warned us this might happen."

He gently squeezed her hand, appreciating how hard this was for Karen. She just wanted her family to be together. "Well, just think that the worst is over. I think we've hit rock bottom and there's no place to go but up."

* * *

Dan led the group down the hall, pointing out features as he went. "So these are the two free bedrooms we have upstairs," Dan explained. Lucas had been sleeping in the downstairs guest room. It was a short term solution, as both Dan and Karen feared he'd start sneaking out of the house if given the chance. The larger of the two rooms was next door to the master suite, while the smaller room was near Nate's room at the opposite end of the hall. "We'll turn which ever room Luke doesn't want into the nursery," Karen added, wanting her son to feel part of their new home.

Luke ignored all the questions still colliding in his head and focused on his mother. Brooke walked into one of the rooms, which was currently being used for storage, and inspected it. "I think Luke should take this one," Brooke said motioning to the smaller room at the end of the hall. "That would leave the room closest to the master for the nursery," she logically pointed out to Lucas. "That means the baby will be closer to your parents, which makes it easier for them."

Dan smiled at Brooke's thoughtfulness, noting that being around Anna had really brought out her maternal instincts. "That's a good point, Brooke. It will really help with middle of the night feedings."

Forcing herself to smile, Karen nodded at the younger couple, appreciatively, even as she wondered when she started taking orders from her son's girlfriend. "What kind of furniture would you like Dan to order?" she asked Luke, pointedly ignoring Brooke.

Forcing himself to focus, Lucas turned to Brooke and shrugged his shoulders, completely disinterested in decorating. "What's in there is fine," he calmly replied, not wanting anyone to spend money for something that he'd probably not be using.

Dan could feel some sort of unspoken tension in the room, but for once, he didn't feel like it involved him. "That's older furniture and we'd like you to have something new," Dan replied, wanting his son to see that he truly did want him to feel like his home was Luke's home.

Brooke sensed Luke's growing unease, knowing that he wanted to confront his mother with all the recriminations running through his mind. "He'll take something dark in Danish modern, with a desk and a bookcase." She knew Broody so well, down to the kind of furniture he'd like.

Smiling, Dan ushered them out to the hall anxious to get Karen off her feet. Brooke gently grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks. Pulling a small gift out of her Birkin bag, she handed it to Dan, while carefully trying not to exclude Karen.

Realizing that Brooke was holding the gift toward him, he slowly reached out and took the prettily wrapped package from her small hand. Brooke subtly nudged Lucas, who uncomfortably cleared his throat before saying, "We wanted to get you all something."

Dan looked over at Karen in surprise, before slowly unwrapping the gift. He pulled out a sterling silver picture frame, decorated with block letters that spelled out "BABY". Brooke sensed Lucas wasn't going to elaborate on his earlier comment, so she jumped in with more information. "We wanted to get you both something for the baby," Brooke explained. "The picture of us is just until you get one of the baby to put in." Brooke noticed that Karen looked surprised before reaching out to pat Luke's back.

"That's very sweet of you," she said, touched that Luke was finally coming around to the idea of the little brother or sister. Dan's smile lessened a bit as he watched Luke's body language. The boy's shoulders tightened and he tensed up every time his mother touched him. While the gift was a sweet gesture, Luke's body language screamed otherwise.

"The picture is from the Snowball Dance," Brooke pointed out, wanting Karen to have a picture where Lucas was actually smiling. "That was taken right after we were crowned king and queen," Brooke sweetly noted, knowing that she and Karen were both head cheerleaders and both winter formal queens.

Karen forced a smile and turned toward Brooke. "Yes, Haley told me about it," she replied, the unstated accusation being that her son had not bother to tell her. "I didn't know that either of you attended school enough to participate," she chided, still disappointed with Luke's scholastic effort.

Refusing to take the bait, Brooke smiled benevolently at the older woman, before replying, "It's a popularity thing." Brooke didn't expect to win everything, but she was well liked by many different groups at school. Besides, considering that the evil Seyton had been her biggest competition, there was no way Brooke wasn't going to win.

Sighing, Dan checked his watch and then ushered everyone out in to the hall. "Kar, you need to go take your medicine. Brooke, you need to get going to Anna and Keith's."

Luke hesitantly touched Dan's sleeve. "I'm going to walk Brooke out to her car," he informed the older man, and even waited for a nod of consent before he walked down the stairs with his girlfriend.

Dan's eyes narrowed in confusion as the boy walked off. First, he was making a great show of doing homework, then the gift for the baby and now acknowledging Dan's parental authority. Something was definitely up.

He walked into his bedroom and saw Karen cradling the picture frame. She looked up at Dan. "He's actually smiling," she noted, realizing that he looked genuinely happy in the photo.

Dan wanted to voice his concerns that Luke was up to something, that this current compliance of his wasn't real, but he couldn't bring himself to destroy the happiness he saw on Karen's face. He pulled her close and murmured, "It's going to be okay."

* * *

Lucas sighed and leaned back against the side of Brooke's car. "How did I do?" he slowly asked, feeling like his heart was about to pound out of his chest. The lies and deception were dragging him down. At some point, he couldn't stand another revelation about his life. What was worse, all the anxiety was making him crave alcohol.

She tenderly stroked the side of his face, understanding how freaked out he was. "I think you brought the awkward," she joked, knowing that he didn't have to fake that. "Karen was buying it, but I'm not sure about Dan." There was an assessing nature to the way Luke's father handled tonight. Brooke knew the man well enough to know that pure sentiment wasn't going to move Dan Scott. But they just needed to think that Luke had calmed down a bit. Brooke needed to make sure that they didn't send Lucas off to that program earlier than expected. They just wanted that damn wedding and all it's distractions to help them bide some time.

"I don't know how long I can go without screaming at her," he finally admitted. "She told me that he never wanted me and that he never tried to see me when I was born." It was a basic fact that was inculcated in him from birth.

Brooke's heart clenched at the anguish that was written on her boyfriend's face. He looked up at her in confusion. "Why would she lie to me?" he asked, his voice laden with the grief of sixteen years of hurt and anger.

Brooke pulled him into a hug. "I think the better question is why would she do that to Dan?" Brooke softly replied. And given the rumors and gossip around town on this subject, why hadn't the truth about Dan and the custody case come out by now?

He inhaled deeply, letting the familiar scent of Brooke's perfume calm him. "And given Dan's . . . Dan-ness, for lack of a better word, why did he let everyone in town think he was a dead beat dad, when he clearly wanted to be in my life?" Luke was stunned that his mother let his hatred build up over the years, when it clearly wasn't true.

"Do you think this is why she let him into your life?" Brooke asked. She thought it was because of the accident and Dan saving Luke's life, but what if it was really due to the guilt she felt about keeping father and son apart all these years?

Luke thought about her question for a moment before answering. "Would I ever be able to trust anything that comes out of her mouth? I'm more likely to get the truth from Dan." Luke had always felt like the man was holding something over his head. He'd thought Dan was just taunting him, but now he reconsidered all their past conversations and realized that maybe Dan had just wanted to tell him the truth.

Brooke stood there for a moment, as she held his hand for comfort. "Would any explanation Karen gave you be good enough?" she cautiously asked. Brooke understood that through all the pain and anger, Lucas dearly loved his mother. Unlike Brooke, Luke had a deep parent-child relationship.

He leaned back against her car, lost in thought. "What's the excuse for letting your kid believe that he's worthless and unlovable?' he calmly asked. Dan saying that he wished Luke had never been born and that he wasn't Luke's father didn't help, but Karen was the one who told him over and over that Dan didn't want anything to do with him.

Brooke thought about the way Dan took care of Karen, similar to the way Brooke watched out for Lucas and the answer was obvious. "Dan is protecting her," she announced. Luke looked at her in confusion. She clarified. "Dan's not telling you the truth to in order to protect Karen from your anger. She lied about the past and he'd rather you hate him than her." Dan was taking on all of Luke's anger to shield Karen from the mistakes she'd made in the past.

Lucas shook his head in disbelief. How was he supposed to frame this new reality? He'd given Brooke all the legal documents they'd copied earlier in the day. He couldn't be sure that the parents wouldn't go through his things, so it was safer with Brooke for the time being. He finally found his voice. "We need to get through the next two weeks and this farce of a wedding so we can get away from these people." His tone was so cold that Brooke had to look up at him to make sure it was her sweet boyfriend. He'd had it with these liars. He didn't know what made his mother lie about his entire life but he sure wasn't sticking around to find out more lies about his life.

Brooke heard the resolution in his tone and slowly nodded. Two weeks. That's all they had left before this game was over.

* * *

Up next:

Is Dan two steps behind Brooke and Lucas or is he about to call their bluff?

What is Brooke up and why is Lucas wearing a tie?

What does Haley find?

Thanks for reading and replying!


	78. Chapter 78

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 78

Anna tossed and turned, her maternal instincts telling her that something wasn't quite right. A shrill scream penetrated the night, jolting both her and Keith out of bed. She instantly knew the cries that woke her up weren't from Caleb but Brooke. She pulled open the door to Brooke's room and found the girl in the throes of a deep nightmare.

Keith slid into the room behind her, wielding a baseball bat at any potential intruders. Anna rushed to Brooke's side, gently trying to rouse the girl from her bad dreams. "Brooke, wake up," Anna soothingly uttered, as she gently rubbed Brooke's black satin pajama'd back. She jumped as Brooke abruptly sat up, blinking.

"Brooke, are you okay?" Keith hesitantly asked. "Did you hear a noise or a sound from outside?" She sat there for a moment, trying to catch her breath. Anna turned her attention from her somewhat comical, baseball bat wielding husband and focused on the terrified girl beside her.

"I think I've got this one, Keith. Why don't you go get a bottle and feed Little Luke," she gently instructed, sensing that Brooke might feel better if they were alone. Keith lowered his bat and slowly headed toward the kitchen. Anna watched as Brooke struggled to breath, little gasps followed by huge swallows of air.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Anna quietly offered. "You can only run so far Brooke before the past catches up to you." Anna would know, having dodged enough apparitions from the past in her time.

Brooke suppressed a hiccup and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. She'd had a dream where her stepbrother chased her down an alley, taunting her along the way. She thought she'd left these dreams behind with her old room and old house. "Talking doesn't fix things," she finally replied, knowing that Anna meant well. Brooke couldn't be upset about someone pushing her when that person was giving her a safe haven.

Anna leaned over and plucked a tissue from the ornate holder on Brooke's night stand. She handed Brooke the tissue and looked thoughtfully at the girl for a moment. "I want you to talk to a friend of mine."

Sighing, Brooke leaned back against her pile of black satin pillows. "What friend?" she suspiciously asked. Anna and Keith had been so laid back about hosting her that she'd begun to think there were no strings attached.

"I have a friend who is a psychologist. She volunteers at the women's crisis center and I think she could help you deal with your problems," Anna cautiously offered. Her friend had stressed that most girls were resistant to seeking help and Anna needed to avoid pushing her into counseling.

Brooke sighed at the idea of counseling. "Why does everyone assume that talking about things makes it better?" she demanded.

"I think you are stressed out and troubled. I think your dreams are the only place your fears can come out and you need to change that so you can get a good night's sleep," Anna softly replied, moving a strand of Brooke's hair behind her ear. "I went to a counselor when I graduated from college."

She looked up at the older woman in interest. "You did? Why were you seeing a shrink?"

Anna leaned back against the pillows with Brooke and delved into her past. She couldn't expect Brooke to trust her unless she could be honest about her own past. "I had a panic attack after Little Luke was born," she slowly began. "I was freaked out about being a mother because I've never really had a mother. Nothing in my life had prepared me for taking care of that little boy," Anna slowly began, wanting Brooke to understand where she was going with this.

"But you are a great mother," Brooke injected, stunned that Anna could be so hard on herself. She practically made Donna Reed look ineffective. "I'll eventually get to a great place, too".

"I don't want you to wait as long as I did to get help," Anna softly admitted. "I had a really rough childhood. My mother would take me to these drug parties late on school nights. While she was getting high in some back room, I was left with all these leering old men. And sometimes they acted inappropriately with me," she softly finished, noting that Brooke was intently hanging on her every word.

"I was nine, Brooke. And they destroyed part of me that I'll never get back," she regretfully finished. "I think you can relate to that." Brooke's eyes teared up at her words, both grateful that someone understood what she was going through, but sad for the little girls whose innocence had been shattered. She reached out and grabbed Anna's hand and squeezed it in solidarity.

"But you are okay now," Brooke insisted, needing to believe that . She could marry her version of Keith and have her own happiness.

Anna held on to Brooke's hand. She was guessing at what happened at Brooke's house, but she could see the signs of sexual abuse. The way she jumped when a person of the opposite sex unexpectedly touched her. Anna wasn't sure if it was her stepfather but she just instinctively knew what Brooke was going through. "Don't wait as long as I did to get help, Brooke. Don't waste a decade of your life living in fear and destroying relationships because you are drowning in pain. You don't have to stay in that dark place," Anna gently pushed, seeing that she had the younger girl's full attention. "It eventually gets better, especially if you have someone to talk to."

Brooke pushed her unruly hair out of her eyes and forced herself to breathe. For so long she'd focused on Luke's problems or on the plan, anything to avoid her own issues. "I have you to talk to," she plaintively replied. Brooke wasn't one to latch on to people but she felt so close to Anna.

Anna spontaneously reached out and pulled Brooke into a hug. "I feel the same way, but I'm not a trained professional," she gently reminded her. Anna could sympathize with Brooke but it wasn't the same thing as being able to counsel her.

Brooke did the only thing she could. "Okay. I'll go talk to your friend," she conceded. She didn't expect that talking could help her nightmares, but she would placate Anna. It's not like it mattered in the long run.

.

.

.

.

* * *

.

.

.

.

Dan sleepily rubbed his eyes, wondering why he was taking late night constitutionals around his house. With Lucas living in his home, Dan's ability to sleep through the night had disappeared. His senses came alert as he rounded the corner and saw the light from under Luke's door seeping into the otherwise dark hallway.

Cautiously, Dan slowly pushed the door open, wondering what his son was doing up at 3 A.M. on a school night. He stepped into the room and saw Luke sprawled out on the bed, with a book folder across his chest.

Smiling down at the boy, Dan took a moment to really study his son. There was always so much tension between them that Dan could barely look at his son without a snarky remark. He looked much younger without anger marring his fine features. Dan wished he had the words to take all the pain away from his boy, but he'd failed every time he tried to talk to Lucas. Dan decided he could live with the boy's anger as long as Lucas was alive and healthy. The other stuff could wait until his son was in a more stable mindset.

He affectionately rubbed his son's fair hair for a second, before reaching out to move the book off his chest. He stopped as Luke's eyes snapped opened.

"What?" Luke asked Dan, more than a little irritated that the guy was skulking about in "his room". Not that Luke truly had a room in this house of horrors.

Dan took an unconscious step back, caught off guard by his now awake son. He could only imagine a time when he and Lucas could have a normal conversation.

"I saw your light on and came to check on you," he said, gesturing toward the book he'd removed the boy's chest. "I guess you just fell asleep while doing homework."

Lucas rubbed his eyes and refrained from snatching his book out of his father's hands. "It's not homework. I'm just reading it," he tersely replied, putting his hand out expectantly.

Dan examined the cover of the book, looking for anything to draw his son out into conversation. "An American Tragedy," he slowly read out, looking at his son in amusement. "A little light reading?" he asked.

Lucas took the book from his father's out stretched hand. "It's on my college reading list," he tersely noted.

Dan thought about that phrase, before smiling down at Lucas. "It's good to see you back on track with the academic stuff." He didn't know a lot about his oldest son but Dan knew he loved to read. In the past, he had his nose in a book most of the time Dan saw him. If Lucas was reading, it was a good sign he was getting back to normal.

Considering the older man's words, Lucas examined the book in his hands. He held it up for Dan to look at. "Are you familiar with this book?" Lucas had poked through the books that were in Dan's bookcase. The man didn't have great taste in literature, but there were several interesting titles there. He wondered if he got his taste in literature from his father.

Dan leaned forward and stared at the book and the author on the cover. "Nope. I've never read it," he slowly admitted, wondering where Lucas was going with this late night literature lesson.

Lucas stared at the cover for a moment, lost in thought. "It's the story of a morally corrupt social climber who gets a socially inferior woman pregnant and then plots to kill her and the child."

Stunned at the emotionally empty tone in his son's voice, Dan struggled to find a response. "That must of destroyed the man as much as it did the young girl." He was shocked that his son was spending his free time comparing his father to literary monsters. Part of Dan was sad that Luke couldn't see how far he'd evolved from that idiot he'd been at 18. Another part of him was concerned that Lucas could even draw a comparison between him and a heartless murderer.

"Well, it's Dreiser writing this, so I'm sure there's a social moral in there about self -destruction," he coldly replied. He wasn't shocked that Dan said nothing about the innocent life that was scarified by the father, but of course, Dan's first thought would always be about himself and not his child.

Dan reached out and slowly took the book from Luke's distracted hands. "Gee, I don't understand why some light bed time reading is keeping you up," Dan joked, desperately trying to lighten the mood. He probably didn't want to know what other thoughts ran through his son's mind. He looked at the beat up book , as he laid it on Luke's nightstand. "We ought to get you one of those new e readers so you can read more."

"No thanks," Luke casually dismissed his idea. "I like the smell and feel of an old book. I like knowing how far I am through it, and feeling the weight of it in my hands."

Dan nodding slowly, wondering how such a bright kid could be such a tech Luddite. Lucas hated the cell phone he'd been given and now was dissing modern reading tools. Dan had already ordered one for Luke's Christmas present and now he was going to have to return it the next day.

Dan looked over at his son and saw the boy starting at him in an appraising way. "What?" he gently asked, seeing something other than anger or hate in the boy's eyes.

Lucas played with the down comforter for a moment, unsure if he wanted to go down this path. Finally, curiosity got the better of him. "Did you ever try to get custody of me?" he asked, his voice unusually soft.

Dan took a step back in shock, not expecting those words to come out of his son. His mind raced, wondering how to handle the situation. "Where did that come from?" he asked, genuinely interested in why Lucas would be thinking about that.

Lucas dropped the comforter and focused his attention on his father. He had poured over the custody documents with Brooke a few days ago. Luke couldn't figure out why Dan put so much money and effort into having a lawyer draw those papers up only to drop it and drop out of his son's life. It was driving Lucas mental trying to figure out what he'd done to drive his father away. "I just wondered," he softly replied. "I just wonder if my mother discouraged you from asking for joint custody."

Dan's eyes widened at that comment. He knew Lucas was a bright kid but he had no idea how his son had stumbled onto the role Karen played in Dan's absence from his life. Avoiding Luke's question, Dan headed toward the door, desperately wanting to escape from this line of questioning. He hesitated before walking out of the door. "Do you remember your blue baby blanket?"

Squinting at his father, Luke slowly nodded his head. "I carried it for years until it was in tatters," he remembered. "How did you know about that blanket?"

"I bought it for you shortly after you were born," Dan shyly admitted. "It was Tar heel blue," he sheepishly added. Some traditions needed to start in the crib, Dan had thought at the time.

Leaning back against his pillows, Lucas stared at his father with narrow eyes. "Did you hate me when I was a baby, too?" he harshly asked, needing to know when his father started hating him.

Dan sighed and leaned against the door frame, resisting the urge to go sit on the boy's bed and have a heart to heart conversation. He couldn't justify his actions without revealing Karen's role in his absence and he owed it to Karen to protect their past mistakes. "I never hated you, son," he slowly began. "I was just a little bit older than you are now, and mistakes were made."

Realizing that Dan was totally avoiding the custody question, Lucas wondered what had gone on in the past. He could hear Brooke saying that Dan was protecting Karen in his head and wondered for the millionth time if that was true. "Did my mom make mistakes too?" he asked, searching Dan's face for any sense of honesty.

Dan forced himself to breath, knowing that his son couldn't possible know the truth. "Does it matter?" he finally replied. "We can't fix the past, son. Try to stop thinking so much and get some sleep," he gently admonished, before walking out the door.

* * *

Hola, dear readers. The time is growing to an end. I do believe that the story will be wrapped up in a couple of chapters. Of course, I'm not sure that's the end, but depending on feedback, I might be cajoled into writing the "what ever happened to" part of the story. I know that I've been a bad updater lately, but I have a seriously ill father and that's taken a lot of my time. It's very hard to write this story when you realize that your time with your parents is limited. It makes me want to have Luke and Dan work things out quickly. That said, it's not really part of the story. I've really had to resist the urge to let real life affect things. The good news is that for two scenes, this chapter was 7 pages. So the next chapter is already written and ready to go. Thanks to Doodle19 for making me edit and post this asap. Replies are always appreciated.


End file.
